New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday dismissed criticism of recent free trade agreements, claiming that few countries were willing to sign free trade pacts during the UPA exemption period when India was plagued by scams and classified as a “vulnerable five” economy, but now it is capable of competing with the world.Speaking at the ET NOW Global Business Summit, the Prime Minister said that UPA can only enter into free trade agreements with four countries, while his government has signed agreements covering 38 countries.“Who will have faith in India when policy paralysis and scams have become the hallmark of Indian governance,” he said while lashing out at the UPA government. Underscoring the changes that have occurred since 2014, he added that new policies and capabilities implemented by his government had brought about the transformation.The celebration of the free-trade agreement seemed to signal a rejection of criticism from Congress and other opponents, as well as confidence that accusations of a trade deal with the United States would not be laundered. “India today is full of confidence. It is ready to compete with the world and has built a strong manufacturing ecosystem,” he said. Modi said that the post-World War II global order is collapsing, a new order will emerge, and India will become an important foundation for the global transformation of change in this century.
