India’s trade diplomacy will begin the month with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal’s visit to the United States from 29 September to 5 October. Goyal will attend the Group of Twenty (G20) Trade Ministers’ Meeting in Milwaukee on 30 September and 1 October, where India will engage with other G20 members on issues relating to the multilateral trading system and the World Trade Organization. He is also scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with his U.S. counterpart as negotiations continue on the proposed India–U.S. Bilateral Trade Agreement. In Milwaukee, Chicago, and New York, Goyal will meet American companies, investors, and startups as part of efforts to expand trade and investment ties.
India and Canada will begin the fifth round of negotiations on their proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) on 5 October. The two countries have said they are working towards concluding the agreement by the end of 2026. Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu will also lead a Team Canada Trade Mission to India from 12 to 17 October, with programmes in Mumbai and Bengaluru covering sectors such as aerospace and space, clean technology, information and communication technology, life sciences, agri-food, and forestry.
New Delhi will host the 2nd India-EFTA Prosperity Summit on 7 October at Bharat Mandapam. The summit comes a year after the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement entered into force and will bring together representatives from India and the four EFTA states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Discussions will focus on the implementation of the agreement and on expanding trade and investment ties.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government will meet in Dushanbe on 19–20 October under Tajikistan’s chairmanship. The meeting will cover trade and investment, transport and logistics, industrial cooperation, digital and creative industries, innovation, and financial cooperation. India’s participation will place its economic and connectivity interests within the broader SCO agenda.
On 20 October, the India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement will enter into force. Signed in New Delhi in April, the agreement provides duty-free access to New Zealand for all Indian exports from the first day of implementation, while New Zealand will receive tariff concessions in India on a phased basis. The agreement also contains provisions on services, investment, and the movement of professionals.
Later in the month, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is expected to visit India from 21 to 24 October, according to The Indian Express. The visit would follow Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s August 2024 visit to Poland, when the two countries upgraded their relationship to a strategic partnership and adopted an Action Plan for 2024–2028. A Polish economic mission is scheduled for 22–23 October in New Delhi and Bengaluru, with sectoral discussions expected to cover defence and dual-use technologies, critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, information technology, and space.
