India, Feb. 16 -- In a sharp take down of trade negotiations during the UPA Government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said its "economic mismanagement" left India unable to negotiate from a position of confidence and could never conclude any talks.

In an exclusive interview with PTI, Modi said India's deals signed with Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the EU, and the US have opened access for MSMEs, particularly in labour-intensive sectors, to export to these regions with near-zero tariffs or tariffs much lower than those of other exporting countries.

"These trade agreements may have happened recently, but they are the outcome of a more competitive domestic industry, a confident approach and an open outlook. These are rare quali...