The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) is a free trade agreement between India and South Korea. The agreement was signed on August 7, 2009. The signing ceremony took place in Seoul and the agreement was signed by the Indian Commerce Minister, Anand Sharma and South Korean Commerce Minister, Kim Jong-Hoon. The negotiations took three-and-a-half years, with the first session being held in February 2006. The agreement was passed in the South Korean parliament on 6 November 2009. It was passed in the Indian parliament the next week. Once passed, the agreement came into effect sixty days later, on January 1, 2010. It is equivalent to a free trade agreement. The agreement will provide better access for the Indian service industry in South Korea. Services include Information tech