FREE PREVIEW Week 4 3 lessons

India's Foreign Relations 2025

The Prime Minister's main visits and honours, India's new trade agreements, the US tariff issue, and ties with neighbours and major powers in 2025.

Lessons in this module

PM Modi's Visits and International Honours

Lesson • 5 quiz questions

Read notes ↓

Trade Agreements and Economic Diplomacy

Lesson • 5 quiz questions

Read notes ↓

Neighbours and Major Powers

Lesson • 5 quiz questions

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Lesson notes

1. PM Modi's Visits and International Honours

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made many foreign visits in 2025, and several countries gave him their highest honours. Exams often ask which country gave which honour, and where an important summit was held.

January to June 2025

Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto was the Chief Guest at India's 76th Republic Day on 26 January 2025.
February: PM visited France and co-chaired the AI Action Summit in Paris with President Emmanuel Macron, then visited the United States and met President Trump.
March: PM was Chief Guest at Mauritius National Day (12 March) and received Mauritius's highest award, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean.
April: PM attended the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, then visited Sri Lanka, where he received the 'Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana' and the two countries signed a defence cooperation MoU.
June: PM visited Cyprus (received the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III), attended the G7 Summit at Kananaskis in Canada, and visited Croatia.

Five-nation tour, 2–9 July 2025

Ghana: 'Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana'.
Trinidad and Tobago: 'The Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago'.
Argentina: bilateral visit to Buenos Aires.
Brazil: 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, then a state visit to Brasília; received the 'Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross'.
Namibia: 'Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis'.

July to December 2025

July: PM visited the United Kingdom, where the India–UK trade agreement (CETA) was signed, and then the Maldives as Guest of Honour for its 60th Independence anniversary.
August–September: PM visited Japan for the 15th India–Japan Annual Summit, then China for the SCO Summit at Tianjin.
November: PM visited Bhutan (11–12 November), where the Punatsangchhu-II hydroelectric project was inaugurated, and attended the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
December: PM visited Jordan, Ethiopia and Oman. Oman conferred the 'Order of Oman' on him, and the India–Oman trade agreement (CEPA) was signed.

Quick facts

Republic Day 2025 Chief Guest: Prabowo Subianto, President of Indonesia
Mauritius honour: Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean
Sri Lanka honour: Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana
Cyprus honour: Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III
Brazil honour: Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross
Namibia honour: Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis
Oman honour: Order of Oman (December 2025)

💡 Link each honour to a symbol of the country: Welwitschia is a desert plant of Namibia, Southern Cross is a star pattern in Brazil's sky, Makarios III was the first President of Cyprus.

📝 5-question quiz on this lesson: enrol free to take it and track your score.

2. Trade Agreements and Economic Diplomacy

Trade was at the centre of India's diplomacy in 2025. India signed or brought into force several trade agreements, while trade talks with the United States took place alongside new US tariffs.

India–UK and India–EFTA

The India–UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) was signed in London on 24 July 2025, in the presence of PM Modi and UK PM Keir Starmer.
According to the Government of India, about 99% of Indian tariff lines (covering almost 100% of trade value) get duty-free access to the UK under CETA.
A Double Contribution Convention was agreed alongside it, so Indian workers on short assignments in the UK do not pay social security in both countries. CETA came into force on 15 July 2026.
UK PM Keir Starmer made his first visit to India, to Mumbai, on 8–9 October 2025, with a large business delegation.
The India–EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) came into force on 1 October 2025. EFTA members are Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
Under TEPA, EFTA countries aim to promote 100 billion US dollars of investment in India over 15 years.

Other partners

European Union: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the College of Commissioners visited India on 27–28 February 2025. Both sides aimed to conclude a free trade agreement within the year.
Japan: at the 15th Annual Summit (August 2025), Japan set a target of 10 trillion yen of private investment in India over the next ten years.
Oman: the India–Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) was signed on 18 December 2025 during the PM's visit to Muscat.
New Zealand: India and New Zealand announced the conclusion of free trade agreement negotiations on 22 December 2025.

India–United States trade

During PM Modi's visit to Washington in February 2025, the two countries launched 'Mission 500', a goal to more than double bilateral trade to 500 billion US dollars by 2030.
They also agreed to negotiate a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).
In August 2025 the US imposed a 25% 'reciprocal' tariff on many Indian goods, and then an additional 25% linked to India's purchase of Russian oil, taking the total to 50% from 27 August 2025.
India's Ministry of External Affairs called the additional tariff 'unfair, unjustified and unreasonable' and said India's energy purchases are guided by market factors and the energy security of its people.

Quick facts

India–UK CETA: Signed 24 July 2025 in London; in force 15 July 2026
India–EFTA TEPA: In force 1 Oct 2025; 100 bn USD investment goal over 15 years
EFTA members: Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein
Mission 500: India–US target of 500 bn USD trade by 2030
US tariff on India: Total 50% from 27 Aug 2025 (25% + 25%)
India–Oman CEPA: Signed 18 December 2025 in Muscat
Japan investment target: 10 trillion yen in 10 years

💡 Do not mix up the abbreviations: CETA = UK, TEPA = EFTA, CEPA = Oman (and earlier UAE). Learn them as pairs.

📝 5-question quiz on this lesson: enrol free to take it and track your score.

3. Neighbours and Major Powers

Besides trade, 2025 saw important steps in India's ties with China, Russia, Afghanistan and its smaller neighbours, and in groupings such as the Quad. 2025 also marked 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and China.

China and Russia

India and China agreed in 2025 to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and direct flights, which had been suspended for about five years.
Direct flights restarted on 26 October 2025, with IndiGo's Kolkata–Guangzhou service.
PM Modi met President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Tianjin (31 August–1 September 2025).
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited New Delhi on 4–5 December 2025 for the 23rd India–Russia Annual Summit.
The two sides adopted an economic 'Programme 2030' and set a target of 100 billion US dollars in bilateral trade by 2030.

Neighbourhood

Afghanistan: the Taliban administration's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi visited India in October 2025, and India announced that its technical mission in Kabul would be upgraded to a full embassy.
Pakistan: after the Pahalgam attack, India kept the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and closed the Attari integrated check post (April 2025).
Sri Lanka: the two countries signed a defence cooperation MoU during the PM's visit in April 2025.
Maldives: PM Modi was Guest of Honour at the 60th anniversary of Maldives' independence in July 2025.
Bhutan: the Punatsangchhu-II hydroelectric project, built with Indian support, was inaugurated in November 2025.

Groupings and the UN

Quad (India, US, Japan, Australia): foreign ministers met in Washington on 1 July 2025 and launched the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative.
India was elected unopposed to the UN Human Rights Council for 2026–2028 in October 2025. This is India's seventh term on the Council.
India took over the chairship of BRICS for 2026 at the end of Brazil's 2025 chairship.

Quick facts

India–China flights: Resumed 26 Oct 2025 (Kolkata–Guangzhou)
India–China ties: 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2025
23rd India–Russia summit: New Delhi, 4–5 Dec 2025; Programme 2030
Kabul mission: Upgraded to embassy (announced Oct 2025)
Quad FM meeting: Washington, 1 July 2025; Critical Minerals Initiative
UNHRC: India elected for 2026–28 (seventh term)

💡 Numbers like '23rd summit' and '7th term' are popular in exams. Write them on a revision card with the country name.

📝 5-question quiz on this lesson: enrol free to take it and track your score.

Other modules in Current Affairs 2025: India & World

Polity & Governance 2025FREE PREVIEW → Economy, Budget & Banking 2025FREE PREVIEW → Government Schemes & Social Sector 2025FREE PREVIEW → Science, Space, Technology & Defence 2025FREE PREVIEW → Environment, Geography & Disasters 2025FREE PREVIEW → Sports, Awards, Persons in News & Important Days 2025FREE PREVIEW → World Politics and Leaders 2025FREE PREVIEW → International Organisations and Summits 2025FREE PREVIEW → Global Economy, Science and Technology 2025FREE PREVIEW → World Sports, Awards and Important Days 2025FREE PREVIEW → Final AssessmentFREE PREVIEW →

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