India and Oman conclude CEPA negotiations, signing date awaited

Deal adds to India’s expanding network of trade agreements; five major FTAs inked in past five years

August 12, 2025

The signing date for the agreement has not yet been announced

India and Oman have maintained strategic ties since 2008, with diplomatic relations dating back to 1955

In the past five years, India has signed FTAs with Mauritius, the UAE, Australia, the EFTA bloc, and the UK

The India-EFTA TEPA is expected to be implemented later in 2025 after ratification by all parties

Negotiations for a comprehensive trade pact between India and Oman have been successfully concluded, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply this week. The talks for the India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) began in 2023.

Prasada did not indicate a date for the signing ceremony. He noted that India and Oman enjoy a long-standing partnership built on mutual trust, respect, and deep people-to-people ties, with relations upgraded to a strategic partnership in 2008.

Responding to a question from Congress member Jebi Mather Hisham, Prasada outlined India’s progress in expanding its trade network over the past five years, during which it has signed five major Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). These include the India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) in 2021; the India-UAE CEPA and the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) in 2022; the India-European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) in 2024; and the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in 2025, which is yet to take effect.

The India-EFTA TEPA is expected to come into force later this year after ratification by all member parties. Meanwhile, India is advancing talks on several other agreements, including the India-EU FTA, the India-Australia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), the India-Sri Lanka Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement, the India-Peru FTA, the India-Chile CEPA, the India-New Zealand FTA, and a bilateral trade deal with the United States.

Source: Economic Times

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