Goyal discusses trade, FTA prospects with Sweden in push to deepen economic ties
New Delhi: Commerce minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday held wide-ranging discussions with senior Swedish government officials and industry leaders in Stockholm, as part of a broader effort to strengthen India's economic partnership with Europe.
The talks focused on expanding bilateral trade, boosting investment flows, and exploring collaboration in emerging sectors such as clean technology and innovation, the commerce ministry said in a statement.
Goyal, who is on a five-day tour of Switzerland and Sweden, co-chaired the 21st session of the India–Sweden Joint Commission for Economic, Industrial and Scientific Cooperation, where both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening strategic ties.
According to the ministry, Goyal's meetings in the Swedish capital featured leading Swedish institutions, like LeadIT, Vinnova, the Swedish Energy Agency, the National Space Agency, the National Board of Trade, the Export Credit Agency, Business Sweden, and the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in India.
A dedicated roundtable also explored ways to strengthen the India–Sweden economic corridor, the ministry said.
Key areas of discussion included innovation, green transition, advanced technologies, and building resilient supply chains, it added.
Goyal has wrapped up the Swiss leg of his tour. Last March, India and the four-nation EFTA – comprising Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland – signed a free trade deal to integrate and strengthen supply chains, attract investments and generate new business opportunities.
The EFTA has also made a binding commitment to invest $100 billion in India and create one million direct jobs in the next 15 years.
Meanwhile, India and the European Union have also stepped up efforts to clinch a long-pending free trade agreement, aiming to forge closer economic ties as global supply chains shift.
Negotiations, revived in 2022 after nearly a decade, have gained urgency with both sides seeking reliable trade partners.
For India, the EU offers a major export market and investment in clean tech. For the EU, India is a growing economy and strategic hedge against China.
Key hurdles remain—such as tariffs, intellectual property, and sustainability standards—but officials are optimistic about a breakthrough by 2025.
During his visit to Sweden, Goyal also urged Swedish companies to expand their footprint in India, citing the country's investor-friendly regulations, growing consumer market, skilled workforce, and strong industrial base.
Goyal participated in the India–Sweden High-Level Trade and Investment Policy Forum at the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise.
He also held one-on-one meetings with Swedish firms from sectors such as automation, renewable energy, sustainable food systems, maritime technology, and advanced materials.
Talks centred on easing land access, building skilling partnerships, and facilitating fast-track clearances.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
'Sick of this sh*t': Alex Wennberg's wife slams Donald Trump's ICE raids after heartbreaking video from Texas goes viral
Felicia Wennberg, wife of NHL player Alex Wennberg, has condemned the recent ICE raids under Donald Trump's directive (Image via Instagram) In a bold and emotional statement, Felicia Wennberg, wife of San Jose Sharks forward Alex Wennberg, has taken a firm stance against the controversial ICE raids happening across the U.S. under President Donald Trump 's directive. The Swedish-born mother and advocate expressed her frustration via Instagram after reposting a disturbing video showing a woman being detained outside an immigration court in San Antonio, Texas. Felicia Wennberg voices outrage over viral video showing woman detained by ICE agents Felicia Wennberg shared the footage—originally posted by the Instagram account 'flowerinspanish'—with a powerful caption: 'I am so freaking sick of this sh*t.' According to Univision reports, the woman in the video was separated from her husband and six children after a judge dismissed her immigration case. The heartbreaking incident occurred on May 29 and has since sparked widespread outrage online, particularly among advocates for immigrant rights. The ICE operations are part of a new nationwide crackdown authorized by Donald Trump targeting undocumented immigrants. In cities like Los Angeles, San Antonio, and others, raids have led to dozens of arrests in a single day. Reports also allege the use of flash-bang grenades and tear gas during enforcement actions—especially in areas like L.A.'s by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Undo garment district, where protesters attempted to protect undocumented workers from federal agents. This isn't the first time Felicia has used her platform to speak on uncomfortable social issues. Back in 2023, she called out the BookTok community on TikTok for sexualizing her husband, Alex Wennberg. Initially amused by the attention, she later admitted that the fan culture crossed a line: 'There have been videos and comments made that have crossed the line of what it means to fancy someone and when it actually sounds pretty predatory and exploiting.' Also Read: 'She initially tried to resist': Crown argues Hockey Canada accuser felt forced into s*x acts during 2018 assault involving five players Felicia's candid voice adds to a growing number of public figures and family members pushing for more humanity and compassion in both online and political spheres. Her message resonates amid rising tensions around immigration policy in the U.S., calling for empathy and the need to protect the dignity of families affected by such raids.
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
Jaishankar emphasises value of trust, says France in many ways is India's most trusted partner in Europe
Marseille [France], June 14 (ANI): Europe is now more self-aware, strategically autonomous and thinks about global issues from European perspective rather than a collective and all this has policy implications, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Friday and noted that France is in many ways is India's most trusted partner in Europe. Speaking at the Raisina Mediterranean 2025 conference, Jaishankar said that India and France have had willingness to 'stratagise for ourselves'. He laid emphasis on the value of trust and pointed to the need of resilient and reliable supply chains. 'I totally agree that one of the things which have gone with the world is a kind of cost determinism by which choices have been made. The result of the cost determinism is that we have ended up with an over concentration of capabilities in one geography which is creating problems for everybody is not just price points and economic efficiencies. Particularly in the digital era...I think there are many other sensitivities, embedded in products and services. Which makes a concept like trust very important. Trust means intuitively we are comfortable with each other. How do you get that? Sometimes by having similar values, sometimes by saying that in my difficulty you supported or who was willing to go the extra mile for our security needs,' he said 'It makes a difference, we are in Europe right now. No question for us that in many, many ways France is our most trusted partner. It didn't happen because one day people got up in the morning to choose this. It was over a set of experiences. We have just come out of some security episodes right now. When I look at who stood by us, who will I trust, with whom I am comfortable, it will surely have consequences on my decisions,' he added. Jaishankar, who is in France as part of his three-nation visit, earlier said that India and EU have set the goal of trying to complete the Free Trade Agreement by end this year and noted that the negotiators and the stakeholders are reacting to a global environment where the importance of doing this FTA has become much more. Jaishankar said India also seeks to conclude a defence and security partnership with the European Union. 'We are putting so much focus on Europe because we can see a quantum jump into multipolarity. There's a realisation in Europe that a lot of its problems and solutions will have to be analysed and thought through by Europe itself. Today's Europe is more self-aware, self-reliant and strategically autonomous, and will want to look for partners who can work with Europe in that respect... That gives an additional impetus to India-Europe relations, which were evolutionary, but I predict a very sharp acceleration in that,' he said. 'In Brussels, we made strong progress in our Free Trade Agreement negotiations. We seek to conclude a defence and security partnership with the European Union. We are looking at a space agreement. We have individual agreements with the states of Europe on talent mobility. We are now trying to see if we can get across an understanding across the entire Union... There is a lot of discussion about connectivity because if you're going to do more business and we're all trying to de-risk and stabilise the global economy, connectivity is very much part of that conversation,' he added. He spoke about the progress in FTA negotiations. 'We have set the goal of trying to complete it by this year. I'm told that half the chapters are done, and for the remaining half, considerable progress has been made. Our trade ministers have met 3 times in the last 6 weeks. We will see another round of meetings by the end of this month. There is a certain urgency and energy that is different. The negotiators and the stakeholders are reacting to a global environment where the importance of doing this FTA has become much more,' he added. India and France have completed 25 years of strategic partnership. The bilateral relations with France are rooted in deep trust and commitment, and the two countries cooperate closely across all domains of strategic and contemporary relevance besides sharing similar outlook on many regional and global issues. (ANI)
Deccan Herald
2 hours ago
- Deccan Herald
Elusive global unity against terrorism
The 'Operation Sindoor' has shown us how deeply fragmented the fight against terror has become. There is a widely held conviction among all major powers that Pakistan is indeed harbouring terrorists and terror groups on its soil and using them as strategic assets against India, just as it had once used the earlier avatar of Taliban. They do not need more convincing. However, while there was widespread condemnation of the terror attack in Pahalgam, no country has called out Pakistan or even asked it to cooperate with apprehending the perpetrators. This is where facts diverge from reality. Before 'Operation Sindoor' was launched, all that the European Union (EU) did was to call the 'rising tensions between India and Pakistan' 'alarming' and advise India that 'escalation helps no one.' It was obvious that rather than taking a stand of zero tolerance to the menace, the EU continued to see terror attacks through a politically frosted glass – the frost that set in due to India's stand on the Ukraine war. The EU, which was peeved over India's abstentions on the UN votes on Ukraine, saw this as an opportunity to pay back in the same coin. However, what they have conveniently forgotten is that when China aggressed our borders in Galwan, all the European Council President could say in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was: 'The relationship between the EU and China is complex. We need to tackle different issues and support all the efforts to maintain a channel of dialogue to find peaceful solutions.' Thank you, EU, for this candid admission.. In fact, when an important member of the EU called India in February 2021 to express its indignation at India's stand in the UN Security Council on the Ukraine vote, India asked them politely to send us a copy of their statement issued when the Galwan clashes happened. There was silence at the other end, since it had issued none. Sometimes it is easy for the EU to forget that international relations did not start with the Ukraine war. The United States have, however, been more forthright on terrorism, though all their actions have to meet the touchstone of domestic acclaim in the US. President Donald Trump's administration has jettisoned the narrow internal focus of Joe Biden's administration on REMVE, or racially and ethnically motivated violent extremism. The recent post of FBI Director Kash Patel on X, calling out a 'Pakistani citizen' being extradited to the US for 'support to ISIS and attempting to commit acts of terrorism', signalled a robust anti-terror policy. The extradition of 26/11 plotter Tahawwur Rana from the US to India is a welcome development. However, the US has also found a sudden bonhomie with Pakistan, calling them 'a phenomenal partner' in combating terror. Consequently, while pursuing zero tolerance to terror, the US does not discriminate between whom it is willing to work with as long as its ends are met. This explains its embrace of former Al-Qaeda leader and current President of Syria, Al Shaara, and a separate deal with the Houthis for stopping attacks on American shipping. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), on the other hand, are now focusing narrowly on terror since the main ambition of most of its members, especially of the Gulf countries, is to break the shackles of their history of support to Islamic radicalism, spawning terrorists and terror groups around the world. Their desire for regional stability and integration with the 'outside' world has made them lukewarm to the Palestine issue and developments in Gaza, the West Bank and the Middle East. India should not expect much from them vis-a-vis Pakistan's terrorist misadventures either. The Saudi minister's shuttle diplomacy immediately after the Pahalgam attack was similar to the one it undertook after the Pulwama attack, ironically by the same minister, and yielded the same results – nothing. The litmus test will come next month when Pakistan takes over the presidency of the UN Security Council. We will see how the OIC countries in the Council – and there are five of them – treat the issue of terrorism and whether they will use Islamophobia to dilute the fight against terror. How the US and the UK react will be the other litmus test. the fight against terror in Africa has been orphaned. The Global Terrorism Index 2025 points out that the Sahel is now the epicentre of terrorism, accounting for over half of all terrorism deaths in the world. But the outside world has no time since it is not affecting them directly. It is a dismal commentary on our collective fight against terror. The inference is simple and, of course, has been self-evident for a long time. Each state will react as per its own geopolitical and other compulsions, especially when it affects it directly. This was how it was before 9/11 happened – the era of 'your terrorist' and 'my terrorist'. That era is returning. The fragmentation of this fight against terror is worse than ever before. In this scenario, Pakistan is not going to stop with the Pahalgam attack unless it knows that the price it will have to pay for sponsoring terrorism will be unacceptably high. It should be India's endeavour to ensure that this happens, if Pakistan is to be deterred. That is why it is even more necessary now for India to take the lead and sustain the high level of engagement to put forward our narrative and call out those responsible. This engagement should also extend to our neighbours. If sending multi-party delegations to neighbours proves to be sensitive, the foreign secretary can visit our neighbours, who are equally susceptible to being influenced by the Pakistani narrative, with Islamic radicals raising their heads again in some neighbouring countries. This will adversely impact our 'Neighbourhood First' policy. (The writer is a former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to the UN in New York. He chaired the UN Security Council's Counter-terrorism Committee.)
