India’s trade pact with Australia will click: It ticks the right boxes
Live MintThe India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement, signed on 2 April, is in many aspects a path-breaking trade agreement for both countries. One of the major factors behind this new FTA confidence and support shown by Indian Industry is that the government has identified the right set of countries for such trade and aggressively ensured meaningful market access for Indian exports. Currently, Indian exports face a tariff disadvantage of 4-5% in many labour-intensive sectors vis-à-vis competitors in the Australian market such as China, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia. Indian industry needs to use this arrangement smartly, as Australian exports to India are more concentrated in raw materials and intermediate products. An annual quota of 1,800 Indian traditional chefs and yoga teachers entering Australia as contractual service suppliers, post-study work visas for Indian students, the pursuit of a mutual recognition agreement on professional qualifications, and an enhanced commitment on the movement of professionals as intra-corporate transferees are some of the key gains for Indian service sectors.