India should push for inclusion of protective provisions in its proposed free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union to safeguard its interests against the EU's carbon tax, think tank GTRI said on Thursday. The EU has decided to impose Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), or carbon tax, which will come into effect from January 1, 2026. It would mainly impact seven carbon-intensive sectors, including steel, cement, fertiliser, aluminium and hydrocarbon products. The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said that if protective language is not included in the agreement, post FTA, EU goods will enter India duty-free, while Indian steel and aluminum could face high carbon charges under CBAM when exported to the EU. "Since CBAM imposes tariffs based on production methods, it violates WTO (World Trade Organisation) rules. India must push for protective language in the FTA to address this issue," GTRI Founder Ajay Srivastava said. The suggestions came at a time when Europea