New Delhi, Oct. 17 -- The government is steering clear of free trade agreements (FTAs) with countries that directly compete with Indian industry and instead is focusing on countries that complement India's economic priorities, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday.

"Countries that come to India with products, goods, and services that straight away impact our own businesses, we have stopped all those types of engagements," Goyal said, addressing industry leaders at an Assocham event.

The minister's remarks underline a recalibration of India's trade priorities after it walked out of the China-backed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in 2019, a move Goyal described as "a bold decision that saved Indian...