Piyush Goyal to meet exporters on Monday as India signs FTA with New Zealand

Ahead of the India–New Zealand FTA signing on April 27, 2026, India's Commerce and Industry Minister and New Zealand's Minister for Trade and Investment join...

What Happened

Ahead of the India–New Zealand FTA signing on April 27, 2026, India's Commerce and Industry Minister and New Zealand's Minister for Trade and Investment jointly visited Agra on April 26, 2026 to engage directly with exporter communities from leather and footwear, AYUSH, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, light engineering, and sports goods sectors.
The Agra engagement was part of a series of pre-signing consultations designed to brief exporters on market access opportunities created by the FTA and to signal post-signing government support for scaling exports.
The 'Agra: World Capital of Footwear' branding campaign was launched at the event, celebrating the skills of Agra's artisans and positioning the city as a global sourcing destination — linked explicitly to the zero-duty access for Indian leather footwear under the FTA.
Agra accounts for approximately 75% of India's leather footwear production and holds a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for its leather footwear; the FTA reduces New Zealand import duties on footwear from 5% to zero from day one.
India's leather sector has set an export target of USD 50 billion by 2030; the New Zealand deal is seen as a proof-of-concept for leveraging high-income markets with a GI-backed, MSME-driven export model.

Static Topic Bridges

India's FTA Negotiation and Consultation Process

India's Department of Commerce (under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry) leads FTA negotiations with technical support from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and inter-ministerial consultation. Unlike many countries, India does not require Parliamentary ratification for trade agreements; the Union Cabinet's approval suffices. Industry consultation involves Export Promotion Councils (EPCs), trade associations, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), FICCI, and ASSOCHAM.

India has 14+ Export Promotion Councils covering sectors such as engineering, gems and jewellery, textiles, pharma, and leather — these bodies represent MSMEs and larger exporters in pre-negotiation consultations.
The DGFT administers export-import policy under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992; it also issues Importer-Exporter Codes (IEC) — mandatory for all exporters.
Post-signing, exporters must obtain Certificate of Origin from designated agencies (e.g., Export Inspection Council, EPCs) to claim FTA tariff preferences in partner countries.
The FTA's negotiation timeline — 9 months from launch (March 2025) to conclusion (December 2025) — is significantly faster than most of India's previous deals; India–UK FTA negotiations, for instance, began in January 2022 and remained ongoing as of early 2026.

Connection to this news: The Agra exporters' engagement represents the "last mile" of the FTA process — translating negotiated market access into actual export flows requires making exporter communities aware of preferences, Certificate of Origin procedures, and sector-specific opportunities.

Geographical Indications (GIs) and Export Branding

A Geographical Indication (GI) is a sign used on products with a specific geographical origin and qualities or reputation attributable to that origin. In India, GI protection is provided under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, implemented by the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM).

India has registered over 600 GI tags as of 2025, covering handicrafts (Pashmina, Kanchipuram silk), food products (Darjeeling Tea, Alphonso Mango), and industrial goods (Agra leather footwear).
GI registration protects producers from imitation by exporters who do not produce in the designated region, thereby preserving premium branding.
Under the TRIPS Agreement (Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, WTO), GI protections are internationally recognised — though bilateral FTAs can add stronger protections.
India's FTP 2023-28 explicitly recognises GI products as priority export categories under the Districts as Export Hubs initiative (part of the ODOP framework).

Connection to this news: Agra leather footwear's GI tag is a competitive asset in a high-income market like New Zealand — it signals authenticity, craftsmanship, and traceability. The 'Agra: World Capital of Footwear' campaign leverages this GI identity for export branding, directly linking the FTA's duty elimination with a premium positioning strategy.

One District One Product (ODOP) Scheme

The ODOP scheme, launched in 2018 originally by Uttar Pradesh state government and subsequently adopted at the national level under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries in 2020, aims to identify and promote at least one product per district that has traditional significance or production concentration, to enable each district to become an export hub.

ODOP was later integrated into the Districts as Export Hubs initiative under the DGFT/Department of Commerce, extending the concept to all districts for non-food products as well.
Each district's ODOP product is linked to existing cluster development, infrastructure support, skill training, and export facilitation measures.
Agra's ODOP product is leather footwear, supported by the Agra Footwear Cluster under the MSME Ministry's Cluster Development Programme.
Export Hubs initiative targets identification of 3-4 products per district with export potential and sets up District Export Promotion Committees chaired by the District Magistrate.

Connection to this news: The FTA-linked 'Agra: World Capital of Footwear' campaign is effectively a scaled-up ODOP activation — using international market access created by the FTA to drive exports from a cluster that already has production concentration, infrastructure, and a GI identity.

Key Facts & Data

Agra's share of India's leather footwear production: approximately 75%
GI Act in India: Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999
Total Indian GI registrations (as of 2025): over 600
India's leather sector export target by 2030: USD 50 billion
New Zealand import duty on leather footwear reduced from 5% to 0% under FTA (from entry into force)
FTA negotiation rounds: 5 rounds over 9 months (March–December 2025) — fastest major FTA conclusion for India
DGFT administers trade under: Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992
Certificate of Origin: required to claim FTA tariff preferences; issued by Export Inspection Council and authorised EPCs
ODOP nationally adopted: 2020 (Ministry of Food Processing Industries; subsequently DGFT/DoC)
India–New Zealand FTA signing date: April 27, 2026, New Delhi