Norway's Ambassador to India, May-Elin Stener, has welcomed the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA), calling it a positive step for global trade and a strong complement to the existing India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), of which Norway is a part.
India's trade landscape marked a historic milestone as the India-European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), signed on March 10, 2024, officially came into effect on October 1, 2025.
India has ratified the TEPA trade deal with EFTA by submitting its instrument to Norway. With all parties now on board, the agreement is set to take effect within three months, boosting trade ties. Ambassador Acquino Vimal also visited key innovation and cybersecurity hubs in Norway.
EFTA is an inter-governmental organization set up in 1960 for the promotion of free trade and economic integration for the benefit of its four Member States - Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal held a bilateral meeting with the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide, where they discussed the implementation of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement.
Norway Trade Minister Jan Christian Vestre hailed the India-EFTA free trade agreement signed on Sunday and said that issues like tariff cuts, included and excluded commodities; human rights clause and an investment chapter were among the major subjects of discussion.