India, June 10 -- In the last 36 months, New Delhi has inked or upgraded over half a dozen free trade agreements (FTAs), with the UAE, Australia, European Free Trade Association, or EFTA (comprising Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein), New Zealand, Oman, the UK and EU. The long awaited deal with the US is being actively negotiated.

The timing is providential, as global supply chains fray and the World Trade Organization (WTO)'s dispute system remains paralysed, India's FTAs have served as both, a shock absorber and a growth engine.

Global trade growth has slowed amid global volatility, yet India's exports to its new FTA partners bucked the trend.

Post the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), India's exports to A...