Kochi

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal declared on Friday that the much-anticipated Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) between India and the United States will be the "mother of all deals".

Speaking at the ‘Invest Kerala Global Summit’ in Kochi, Goyal revealed that India will soon begin discussions for a strong and powerful bilateral trade deal with the US, saying, "It will be the mother of all deals, providing huge opportunities for both Indians and Americans while complementing each other’s strengths in a turbulent economic world."

The minister also highlighted Kerala’s unique opportunities in sectors such as tourism, manufacturing, and logistics.

The BTA, which was initiated during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington, DC, to meet US President Donald Trump, aims to double bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030. The first round of negotiations is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, with both sides set to appoint senior representatives to advance the talks soon.

Earlier this week, Goyal remarked that India and the US "do not compete as much as we complement each other", adding that discussions were ongoing with various stakeholders to strengthen trade ties between the two nations.

In his virtual address at the NDTV Profit Conclave, the minister further stated that this is a relationship between two friendly nations, trusted partners, and powerful democracies.

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He also underscored that India’s position in global trade negotiations had been strengthened by its focus on protecting domestic industries from non-market economies that lack transparent trading systems.

Trade relations between India and the US have already been enhanced through strategic, bilateral, and multilateral engagements, including defence ties, education, and people-to-people connections. Several tangible outcomes from PM Modi’s visit to the US include strengthened cooperation in defence, terrorism, energy security (including both fossil fuels and nuclear power), trade, investment, and leveraging India's human capital.