Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will travel to Brussels soon for the India-European Union Trade and Technology Council (TTC) dialogue, which will complement the recently concluded India-EU free trade agreement (FTA) and help facilitate its implementation, Goyal said on Saturday.
“We will all be going for a meeting with the European Commission… Our effort is that it becomes a supplement to the free trade agreement which we have finalised and will help us to smoothen the edges and make it easier to implement and benefit from the FTA going forward,” Goyal said on the sidelines of the 17th Toy Biz International B2B Expo 2026.
On other trade negotiations, Goyal said talks on the proposed India-Canada free trade agreement are progressing well, with an Indian negotiating team leaving on Monday.
“We are trying to conclude it in the next six months,” he said.
He added that an FTA with Peru is unlikely to be concluded soon as India has concerns over providing market access for several products.
On Israel, Goyal said negotiations are continuing despite the ongoing crisis in West Asia, though at a slower pace, expressing hope that talks could be fast-tracked once the peace process is underway.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the expo, Goyal said the Centre will establish modern testing facilities for the toy industry across major manufacturing clusters to improve product quality and boost exports.
He assured manufacturers that the existing Quality Control Order (QCO) for toys would remain in place to protect the domestic industry from unfair imports.
“While I’m here, QCO will not be removed. Quality Control Order will remain and we will also protect you from unfair dumping of imports,” he said.
Goyal’s remarks come amid a broader debate within the government over the scope and implementation of QCOs. A high-level committee chaired by former Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba has recommended rationalising or withdrawing several QCOs for industrial inputs to reduce compliance costs and improve the ease of doing business. Against this backdrop, Goyal’s assurance signals that the toy sector’s QCO will remain in force.
Goyal said India has an Rs 18,000 crore toy market, of which imports account for around Rs 2,500-3,000 crore, with the remainder manufactured domestically.
He said quality standards have improved significantly but urged manufacturers not to become complacent.
Calling for greater technological upgradation, Goyal asked companies to adopt computer-aided design and manufacturing technologies to improve product quality and productivity.
He also encouraged toy makers to establish skill development centres, partner with Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), and train workers in good manufacturing practices.
The minister proposed that the industry and government jointly establish a centre of excellence under a public-private partnership (PPP) model for product design, testing and brand development.
He also urged companies to make use of India’s nine FTAs, covering 38 countries, by sending business delegations overseas, participating in international exhibitions and building distribution networks.
Goyal said the government would support exporters through the Export Promotion Mission, including assistance for overseas warehousing during the initial years.