Why is India striking so many trade deals?
Business Daily
BBC
4.4 • 816 Ratings
🗓️ 19 February 2026
⏱️ 18 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In just a few months, the country has signed or advanced several major trade deals with other nations.
Is it a reflection of the growing size of the Indian economy - it is on course to become the third largest in the world - or it is because of a global economic realignment due to US President Donald Trump's tariff policies?
And is India ready to open its markets to foreign competition, or is there a danger that it will lead to job losses in some sectors?
If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Rahul Tandon Producer: David Cann
Business Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small startup stories to big corporate takeovers, global economic shifts to trends in technology, we look at the key figures, ideas and events shaping business.
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(Picture: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets President of the European Council, Antonio Luis Santos da Costa and President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen in Hyderabad House, New Delhi, India on the 27th of January 2026. Credit: Getty Images)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts. |
| 0:07.0 | Welcome to Business Daily from the BBC World Service. I'm Rahul Tandon. |
| 0:12.0 | Why are so many countries striking trade deals with India? |
| 0:16.8 | We did it. We delivered the mother of all deals. |
| 0:21.7 | And what impact will that have on India's economy? |
| 0:25.0 | We need to be prepared. If we are well prepared, we can create really magic out of these opportunities. |
| 0:30.7 | Otherwise, well, it will be difficult. |
| 0:33.4 | Today we're asking, is the world's fastest growing major economy about to go into overdrive? |
| 0:39.6 | That's all coming up here on Business Daily from the BBC. |
| 0:44.7 | In one decade, India has seen a massive transformation. |
| 0:52.2 | Then we were the 11th largest economy in the world. |
| 0:58.7 | Now we are knocking on the doors of the top three. |
| 1:06.0 | That, of course, is the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a recent trip to Malaysia, talking about |
| 1:12.4 | the country's growing economic clout. He's confident, as always, about its rapid development. |
| 1:19.1 | And we've seen another example of that this week, as India has been at the centre of lots of global |
| 1:25.3 | business news headlines. It's a landmark week in New Delhi. |
| 1:29.3 | World leaders are here, tech giants are here, researchers, policymakers, they've all gathered |
| 1:34.1 | for one reason. |
| 1:35.6 | Artificial intelligence. |
| 1:37.7 | That AI summit in New Delhi got us thinking here on Business Daily about the recent trade |
| 1:43.8 | deals that have been struck with India, and there have been quite a few. Thank you. got us thinking here on Business Daily about the recent trade deals |
| 1:44.1 | that have been struck with India |
... |
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