New Delhi, July 20: Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal is set to travel to Geneva this week to represent India during the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) eighth Trade Policy Review (TPR), a significant exercise that evaluates the country’s trade policies, institutional framework, and economic performance. The review comes at a time when India continues to expand its footprint in international trade and strengthen its engagement with global markets.
According to official sources, Agarwal will head a delegation of senior government officials at the WTO headquarters in Geneva, where India’s latest Trade Policy Review report will be formally examined. The review is expected to be released later this month and will provide a detailed assessment of India’s trade regime, policy initiatives, and overall trade performance over the review period.
The Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM) is one of the WTO’s key transparency instruments. It enables member nations to evaluate each other’s trade-related policies and practices while encouraging greater openness and predictability in the global trading system. Through periodic reviews, WTO members gain a clearer understanding of policy developments that may influence international trade.
India, as one of the world’s leading trading nations, falls within the category of economies reviewed every five years. The review cycle is determined by a country’s share in global trade. The European Union, the United States, China, and Japan—the four largest trading entities—are reviewed every three years. The next group of major traders, including India, undergoes assessments every five years, while smaller trading economies are reviewed every seven years.
The report prepared under the Trade Policy Review framework typically includes a comprehensive examination of a country’s trade policy environment. It covers areas such as customs procedures, tariff structures, export and import regulations, trade facilitation measures, investment policies, intellectual property rights, sector-specific reforms, and institutional mechanisms governing trade policy.
In addition to trade-specific measures, the report also reviews the country’s broader macroeconomic environment, including economic growth trends, fiscal and monetary policies, industrial development, and external sector performance. This integrated approach allows WTO members to understand how domestic economic policies influence international trade commitments and market access.
Officials familiar with the process noted that India’s review is expected to highlight several policy reforms undertaken in recent years to improve ease of doing business, strengthen manufacturing competitiveness, expand digital trade infrastructure, and diversify export markets. The country’s increasing emphasis on production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes, logistics improvements, and trade facilitation initiatives is also likely to feature prominently during the discussions.
The WTO’s Trade Policy Review Mechanism was established under the Marrakesh Agreement that created the organization in 1995. Its primary objective is to improve transparency, enhance understanding of members’ trade policies, and contribute to the smooth functioning of the multilateral trading system. The mechanism is not intended to enforce compliance or impose penalties but rather to encourage constructive dialogue among member countries.
Trade experts believe the review offers India an important opportunity to present its economic reforms and explain policy decisions before the global trading community. It also allows other WTO members to seek clarifications on various aspects of India’s trade policies and raise questions regarding market access, regulatory measures, and trade-related initiatives.
India’s expanding role in global commerce has made its periodic trade policy reviews increasingly significant. Over the past two decades, the country has steadily increased its participation in international merchandise and services trade, supported by stronger manufacturing capabilities, growing services exports, and deeper integration into global value chains.
According to the WTO’s World Trade Statistics, India’s share in global merchandise exports has shown consistent growth over the years. Between 2005 and 2024, the country’s contribution nearly doubled, increasing from around 1 percent to approximately 1.8 percent of total global merchandise exports.
India has registered even stronger growth in commercial services exports. During the same period, its global share rose from 2 percent to 4.3 percent, reflecting the country’s expanding strength in information technology services, business process management, financial services, consulting, engineering, and other knowledge-based industries.
The steady rise in services exports has positioned India among the world’s leading service-exporting economies. The country’s highly skilled workforce, digital capabilities, and competitive technology sector have played a major role in supporting this growth.
Officials indicate that India’s review will also provide an opportunity to showcase ongoing efforts to improve trade competitiveness through infrastructure development, digitisation of customs procedures, reduction in logistics costs, and stronger integration with international supply chains.
In recent years, India has actively pursued bilateral and regional trade agreements while continuing to participate in multilateral discussions under the WTO framework. The government has consistently emphasized balancing domestic economic priorities with commitments to a fair, transparent, and rules-based global trading system.
The Geneva discussions are expected to involve detailed exchanges between Indian officials and WTO members, covering developments since the country’s previous review. Questions raised during the review process typically address policy changes, regulatory reforms, sector-specific measures, and future trade strategies.
The findings and discussions emerging from the review are expected to provide valuable insights into India’s evolving trade landscape while reinforcing transparency and confidence among international trading partners.
As global trade continues to face challenges arising from geopolitical uncertainties, supply chain shifts, and changing economic conditions, India’s participation in the WTO Trade Policy Review underscores its commitment to engaging constructively with the multilateral trading system and promoting stable, predictable international trade.