New Delhi, May 9 -- India and Chile have agreed to launch talks for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), aiming to deepen trade ties and expand cooperation into new areas such as digital services and critical minerals, the commerce and industry ministry said in a statement.

The terms of reference (ToR), signed by Chilean Ambassador Juan Angulo and India's chief negotiator Vimal Anand, sets the agenda and framework for CEPA talks, expanding the scope beyond the existing preferential trade agreement (PTA) to cover areas such as digital trade, MSMEs, investment, and critical minerals, it said.

The first round of CEPA talks will take place in New Delhi in the last week of May, the commerce ministry said.

The move comes as...