New template for trade deals with targeted pacts

This would mark a fundamental departure for India's trade negotiators

- Dhirendra Kumar

NEW DELHI: In a major strategic shift, India is moving away from negotiating full-fledged free trade agreements (FTAs) and instead opting for short-term, limited-scope deals with several countries, including the UK and New Zealand, said two people familiar with the matter.

The ongoing trade talks with the US for a bilateral trade agreement are also part of this "early harvest approach", focusing on negotiating tariffs and non-tariff measures, with sensitive issues such as intellectual property rights and emigration set aside for now, they said.