India is on track to finalize bilateral investment protection treaties with at least three more countries, including Russia, by December if talks proceed as planned, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman indicated this week.Speaking at the Munich Leaders Meeting, Sitharaman said the BIT negotiations are being held keeping in mind the elements of a new model template, which the Union Cabinet is expected to approve soon. India is also in talks with Russia for a bilateral investment treaty.She added that India is likely to conclude BIT negotiations with Canada and two more partners by December or early 2027. New Delhi is simultaneously engaged in negotiations for trade deals with multiple economies.The push for investment treaties comes as India seeks to strengthen commercial partnerships amid tariff uncertainty. Sitharaman argued that bilateralism has become more relevant than multilateralism as trade rules under the WTO have weakened. Investment treaties give foreign investors legal certainty and dispute protection.