India might offer concessions to EU to push stalled trade pact

Govt discussing whether to cut duties on automobile, alcohol import

The government might offer concessions to the European Union (EU) in a bid to push forward the talks on a proposed trade pact, stuck for four years.

A Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) was first mooted in 2007. The 16th and previous formal round of discussion was in 2013. Hurdles remain on issues of tariff reduction and market access in the alcohol and automobile, sectors, prime European exports to India.

The prime minister's office is nudging the commerce department to take forward stagnant trade discussion. So, tariff concessions in these areas have been discussed, a senior commerce and industry ministry official