Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) President Ramakrishnan Mukundan urged Indian exporters to build long-term resilience by diversifying supply chains and market destinations as potential US secondary tariffs threaten export stability. Reflecting on historical tariff fluctuations, which saw duties peak at 50% before dropping to 18%, Mukundan emphasized that continuous diplomatic engagement, internal fiscal prudence, and technology partnerships are necessary to weather global trade disruptions. Meanwhile, operational details of the India-New Zealand FTA reached its final countdown, with Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal confirming that the agreement is targeted to come into force by late October 2026. Under the bilateral agreement, New Zealand will eliminate tariffs on 100% of its tariff lines, offering significant growth opportunities for Indian textiles, leather, engineering goods, and gems and jewellery. In addition to trade concessions, New Zealand committed to facilitating $20 billion in long-term investments in India over the next 15 years, targeting critical sectors like manufacturing, infrastructure, and technology innovation while preserving protective measures for sensitive domestic sectors like dairy.