WTO completes 8th review of India's trade policies amid scrutiny
India just had its eighth big trade policy review at the World Trade Organization (WTO) on July 21-22.
The main topics? Tariff changes, agriculture rules, and how India manages its industries.
While many countries praised India's growing influence and its ambition to be a developed nation by 2047, they also pointed out some worries about transparency and unpredictable policy shifts.
India answered most questions before talks
WTO members sent more than 1,090 questions. India answered most of them before the talks even started.
During the two-day session with representatives from 68 countries, several issues came up: sudden tariff hikes, confusing investment rules, and delays in approving new projects.
India's farming policies (like price supports and export bans) were called out for possibly distorting global trade.
There were also questions about India's quality checks on imports, rules for local manufacturing incentives, and new digital laws around data privacy and AI.
Feedback could shape India's trade policies
The review shows that as India grows on the world stage, other countries are watching closely and want more clarity about how it does business.
The feedback could shape how India updates its trade policies going forward.