A position of strength

A few days ago, at Chequers in Buckinghamshire, the United Kingdom and India signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, a free trade agreement that took nearly three years and 14 rounds of negotiations to complete. At first glance, it may seem like just another bilateral deal, but it carries significance far beyond its text.

- BANSURI SWARAJ

As someone who grew up listening to tales of diplomacy and sovereignty around the dinner table, I can say this much with certainty: The true strength of a nation is not just in its ability to defend borders, but also in its capacity to open them strategically, wisely and on its own terms. For India, this is not merely about reducing tariffs on mangoes or jewellery; it is about carving a foothold in one of the world's most mature and premium markets. About 99 per cent of Indian goods will now enter the UK without customs duties. That includes everything from textiles to basmati rice, from gems to handmade shoes. For a weaver in Panipat or a jeweller in Jaipur, this FTA will turn the markets of London, Birmingham and Glasgow into viable channels of trade.