India Commerce Secretary to visit Chile to review CEPA talks

A trade deal is an agreement between two countries to make buying and selling things easier.

India and Chile are working on a special trade deal called a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, or CEPA for short.

India's Commerce Secretary, Rajesh Agrawal, is going to Chile to check how the talks are going.

The talks had stopped for a little while because Chile got a new leader, President José Antonio Kast.

India really wants to get minerals like lithium and copper from Chile.

These minerals are used to make electric car batteries and solar panels.

India is worried that if Chile suddenly stops selling them, India won't have enough, so the new deal has a special part about minerals.

The two countries already trade a lot, with total trade reaching $5.38 billion in 2025.

India is also talking to other countries in South America, like the Mercosur group, about similar deals.

Both countries hope the new deal will make trading easier and safer.