Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said the nation has to come together to deal with the challenges emanating from the West Asia crisis.
A joint attack launched by the US and Israel on Iran has disrupted the movement of ships and pushed oil prices in the global markets.
“There is a war going on, we have nothing to do with the war. India is not in any way involved in the war. But when war is going on, there is going to be collateral damage, there are difficulties, maybe Malabar is facing difficulties in exporting to the Middle East countries. But this is the time when the nation has to rally as one. The nation has to come together to face the challenges of the times,” Goyal said.
He also said that in the last few years, India has entered into nine free trade agreements with nine regions covering 38 developed nations.
These agreements, he said, provide preferential market access to nearly two-thirds of global trade and emphasised that Indian industry, farmers, MSMEs and artisans must leverage these opportunities through a strong focus on quality.
These pacts have opened up global markets for Indian goods and services at reduced or zero duty, giving Indian exporters a competitive advantage, Goyal said.
He also highlighted the importance of skilling and capacity building, including language training and quality education, to enhance global opportunities for India’s youth.
The minister was addressing the National CSR Announcement for 2026-27 and Scholarship Distribution launch by Malabar Charitable Trust here. The trust has allocated Rs 200 crore for CSR for 2026-27.