Colombo, Sept. 8 -- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday highlighted a dramatic transformation in India's international economic engagement, noting that India has successfully secured free trade agreements with 38 countries over the last 10 to 12 years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

Addressing the Indian diaspora during his visit to Sri Lanka, the Defence Minister contrasted India's current global trade footprint with that of the pre-2014 era. He noted the significant expansion of the country's trade network over the last decade.

"Today, India's situation is such that before 2014, the UPA government was able to sign comprehensive trade agreements with only four countries. But today, the situation is such that we h...