Overview

• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasizes India's urgency in concluding trade agreements with the US and EU, calling it a critical window of opportunity.
• The US has fundamentally changed its global engagement strategy, influencing trade, technology, and diplomacy, creating a new landscape for negotiations.
• India's past trade discussions with the US under the Trump administration and prolonged EU negotiations failed to yield agreements, prompting a more focused approach now.
• Global trade dynamics are being reshaped by US-China competition, with technology playing a pivotal role, and other regional players like Japan and South Korea leveraging tech advancements for geopolitical positioning.
• India is also advancing its domestic priorities, including digital public infrastructure and semiconductor development, aligning economic strategy with global shifts.