"India-EFTA Trade Pact Completes First Year"
EFTA
European Free Trade Association, a four-nation bloc of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, separate from the EU.
TEPA
Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement between India and EFTA, in force since October 2025.
The Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) between India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), a four-nation bloc comprising Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, entered into force on October 1, 2025, after negotiations that had run for over fifteen years. EFTA states are not part of the European Union, and this distinction matters. India's separate, much older negotiation with the EU itself, known as the Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA), has remained stalled since 2007 over disagreements on tariffs, data protection and labour mobility across a 27-member bloc with diverse internal interests. TEPA's relative success shows that a smaller, more homogenous grouping of developed economies can move faster on a comprehensive deal than a large multilateral bloc.
India's trade agreement strategy has evolved from simple tariff-reduction deals toward comprehensive frameworks that bundle market access with investment and technology commitments. This reflects a wider shift in Indian trade policy after the setbacks of agreements like the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which India chose not to join. TEPA fits this newer template: tariff liberalisation paired with binding investment and job-creation commitments, aimed at building durable industrial partnerships rather than one-off export gains.
Under TEPA, EFTA states have offered concessions on 92.2% of their tariff lines, covering 99.6% of the value of India's exports to them, while India has offered concessions on 82.7% of its tariff lines, covering 95.3% of EFTA's export value to India. What sets TEPA apart from a conventional free trade pact is its dedicated chapter on investment and job creation, the first of its kind in an Indian trade agreement. Under this chapter, EFTA states have committed to raising investment in India by $100 billion over 15 years and to facilitating one million direct jobs. …
'Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA)' is sometimes seen in the news in the context of negotiations held between India and
With reference to the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), consider the following statements:
1.It is the first trade agreement signed by India containing a dedicated chapter on investment and job creation.
2.Under TEPA, EFTA states have committed to raising investment in India by $100 billion over 15 years.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding the European Free Trade Association (EFTA):
1.It comprises Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
2.All EFTA member states are also members of the European Union.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to India's carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) efforts, consider the following statements:
1.A NITI Aayog study estimated that India could capture around 750 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually by 2050.
2.The Union Budget has allocated funds over five years to scale CCUS technologies in sectors such as power, steel and cement.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Match List I (Cooperation Area under India-EFTA TEPA) with List II (Associated Example) and select the correct answer using the codes given below:
List I:
A.Geothermal energy
B.Carbon capture and storage
C.Ocean economy/fisheries
List II:
1.Geotropy facility in Himachal Pradesh
2.CarbFix mineral-storage technology
3.Iceland's near-total utilisation of cod catch
Which of the following published India's first dedicated Research and Development road map for carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), in support of the 2070 net-zero target?
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