Dibrugarh, Feb. 17 -- Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal sharply contrasted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proactive global trade strategy with the Congress party's alleged history of indecision and obstruction, crediting Modi's leadership for India's rise as a confident trade power.

Addressing a press conference in Dibrugarh, Sonowal highlighted India's shift since 2014 from a "defensive and hesitant trade posture" to assertive, strategically negotiated global engagement. He pointed to nine major FTAs finalised in the last six years, granting preferential access to 38 developed nations across Europe, the Gulf, Oceania, and North America. These pacts account for nearly 30% of India's export value approxima...