Post-COVID lives & livelihoods: Food for thought for decision makers everywhere

Prof Nandu Nandkishore | June 12, 2020

In line with the principles of Triage in medical treatments, Prof Nandu Nandkishore, Indian School of Business, offers an actionable framework to enable governments to set their priorities right post-COVID..

Post-crisis rejuvenation for Indian tea

Nikhaar Gogna | June 12, 2020

COVID-19 has made the going tougher for the tea industry. Players may find it prudent to join forces to boost brand equity & valuation of Indian tea.

Avenues for Indian agri-exports in post-pandemic US

Abhishek Jha | June 11, 2020

With America's farm sector badly impacted by the pandemic, India can potentially boost agri-exports in sectors like dairy, meat, sugar, fruits & cereals.

Designing Import Substitution Policy for Developing Furniture Cluster in India

Abhishek Jha | June 11, 2020

India should promote setting up of clusters, boosting innovation and branding culture & placing import restrictions to boost the domestic furniture sector.

Black gold conundrum: India’s rising pepper imports

Preeti Kumari | June 11, 2020

India needs to enhance adoption of scientific methods for increasing piperine content, improve yield and control price fluctuations for the pepper crop.

Electronics Manufacturing Policy: India Should Move Beyond Self-Reliance

Dr Sunitha Raju | June 11, 2020

Dr Sunitha Raju asserts that while India has the capability to integrate with global value chains in electronics, the focus should be on building a strong component ecosystem, incentivizing value addition over imports, developing indigenous standards and promoting SMEs.

Accelerating progress towards self-sufficiency in pharma

Tanmay Mark Thomas | June 10, 2020

COVID-19 crisis has amplified is the need for self-sufficiency in API production, for which government and pharma industry must work in close coordination.

Making the most of a calamity: Case of the Indian IT industry

Nikhaar Gogna | June 10, 2020

As it struggles with demand & supply side issues, India's IT sector must devise new operational & customer engagement models to navigate the COVID-19 crisis

“Zeal of e-commerce to empower kirana with technology is temporary”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | June 10, 2020

IIM Bangalore’s Prof. Seema Gupta cautions that the enthusiasm of e-commerce firms to empower kiranas with technology is only a temporary one. From the perspective of e-commerce firms, partnerships should either increase their sales or reduce their operating costs. It is not clear as to how that will happen. Feel good factors like customer relationship & geographical proximity cannot drive hard business decisions and investments.

Good prospects for warehousing, data centres & reasonably priced office space

Vijay KR | June 10, 2020

Vijay KR, Partner, Deloitte India, predicts that the new normal in commercial real estate could have limited and mature commercial real estate developers with deeper pockets and greater focus on safety, security, and transparency and occupier wellness.

Digital makeover of kiranas: Just a tap away?

Nikhaar Gogna | June 5, 2020

E-commerce companies and local kirana stores can derive synergies through win-win partnerships, especially as online spending accelerates post-lockdown.

Global Value Chains post-COVID: Paving the road to revival

Abhishek Jha | June 5, 2020

The disruption of global value chains due to COVID-19 may significantly impact developing countries’ potential to industrialize in the years to come. The scenario calls for a coordinated policy action.

“Kirana shops can be extended arms for e-commerce players”

Dr Rajat Agrawal | June 4, 2020

Dr. Rajat Agrawal, IIT Roorkee, opines that India must facilitate co-existence of e-commerce and local kirana stores, as both have their unique advantages. The growing size of the Indian retail market will provide sufficient attraction for all types of players.

Post-lockdown Italy: Adjusting to a new normal

Abhishek Jha | June 4, 2020

With other major supplying countries badly hit by COVID-19, India can play a major role as a trade partner to Italy, especially in the agriculture sector.

Covid-19: The fertile ground for the blossoming of neobanking in India

Nikhaar Gogna | June 4, 2020

Neobanking offers accessibility, suitability and cost-effective customer-centric banking solutions, but it still faces regulatory and execution challenges.

“Office space absorption may decrease by 30-50% for 2021, with rents to see marginal decline”

Chintan Patel | June 4, 2020

Chintan Patel, Partner and Leader – Building, Construction & Real Estate, KPMG in India, contends that commercial realty/office space sector will witness short term disruptions, especially with social distancing and the rise of the work-from-home (WFH) phenomenon. He adds that it will be difficult to make reasonable projections for recovery before Q4, 2020 or till a vaccine is found.

Empowering SMBs Post-COVID-19: A SMALL Framework

Prof Anuj Kapoor & Akash Chaturvedi | June 4, 2020

SMBs are expected to face several financial challenges post-COVID. The 'SMALL' framework will help them re-assess and improve their operational readiness.

“Commercial realty slowdown will not last long”

Anshul Jain | June 4, 2020

Anshul Jain, MD - India & S E Asia, Cushman & Wakefield assures there is no structural issue with commercial realty, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. It is actually a postponement of demand, rather than cancellation. He also points out to a major positive vis-à-vis the 2009 crisis - that the sector is sitting on far less vacancies at present.

Post-Lockdown: An opportunity to regain Aatma nirbharta in Yoga

Dr Neha Gupta | June 2, 2020

The COVID-19 lockdowns have boosted demand for yoga in the Indian market. Stakeholders can use this opportunity to help yoga regain lost ground in the domestic and export market. Detailed research is required to assess the potential, identify the barriers in yoga services and accessories’ exports, and to bring out a do-able action plan.

Why India’s turmeric industry needs a healing touch

Dr Parashram Patil & Preeti Kumari | June 2, 2020

India is witnessing a sharp surge in turmeric imports over the past few years. This must be mitigated through immediate interventions to align production standards with expectations of end-user industries.

“Traceability systems and reduced food miles are key interventions post-COVID”

Dr P. Indira Devi | June 1, 2020

Raising awareness, use of technology and promoting local food culture can help address consumer concerns on COVID-19 contamination in the agri-value chain.

“Better remuneration will encourage farmers to increase vegetable production”

Dr O. P. Singh | June 1, 2020

Processing infrastructure for milk and vegetables can help farmers get more remunerative prices for their produce and minimise post-harvest losses.

Zero tariffs on electronic transmissions = Next wave of economic imperialism?

Virat Bahri | May 30, 2020

A continued moratorium on customs duties for electronic transmissions could lead to a highly lopsided trade growth favour of developed countries, especially with emerging technologies like 3D printing, AI and robotics. This is both undesirable and unsustainable, and needs to be debated more seriously at the WTO.

Servitization of manufacturing: A post-COVID eventuality

Nikhaar Gogna | May 29, 2020

Servitization enables manufacturers to improve trustworthiness of products, help customers obtain superior value, and develop new revenue streams. Its relevance becomes even more relevant in the post-COVID era.

China vs the world: Where should India stand?

Abhishek Jha | May 29, 2020

As more countries rally against China on trade as well as its role in the COVID-19 pandemic, India must look to bolster its self-reliance and emerge as a viable alternative for manufacturing FDI. At the same time, it also needs to voice its support for friendly countries contesting China's aggressive territorial designs, especially in the South China sea.

COVID-19: Assessing our enhanced digital footprint

Nikhaar Gogna | May 29, 2020

COVID-19 has further enhanced the role of digital technology in our personal and professional lives, raising new concerns on data protection & security.

Product Profile – PPE Kit (Personal Protective Equipment)

Abhishek Jha | May 29, 2020

India has ramped up its PPE supplies in a fairly short span of time, and has an unprecedented opportunity to cater to the imminent global demand surge.

Land, labour & contract reforms are key to India’s FDI attractiveness

Prof Nilanjan Banik | May 28, 2020

If India ensures desired reforms in land, labour and contract enforcement, quite a few industries like electronics could emerge as viable avenues for FDI.

“States must identify & communicate with specific large firms to boost FDI”

Prof. Ashima Goyal | May 28, 2020

India should ensure strategic use of FDI, build on its advantages, focus on training & education and move up the value chain to become a manufacturing hub..

“Business relocation will be easier post-COVID-19”

Prof Graciela Chichilnisky | May 28, 2020

Technology and climate change will be key considerations for businesses planning relocation amidst the present COVID-19 led disruption of global supply chains. She further adds that protectionism could be replaced by pro-immigration policies soon in the case of developed countries, since they are facing an immediate risk in terms of declining populations.

“Governments need to incentivize supply chain diversification”

Prof Gregory Shaffer | May 28, 2020

While COVID-19 has brought the importance of supply chain diversification to the fore, companies may be compelled to choose efficiency due to competitive pressure and stakeholder demands. This may necessitate government intervention.

Moratorium on duties for electronic transmissions at the WTO is untenable

Rashmi Banga | May 28, 2020

Developing countries should be able to levy tariffs on electronic transmissions as they deem appropriate. Moreover, with the ambiguous nature of electronic transmissions, and the overwhelming dominance of a few countries in their exports, developing nations should not agree to extend the moratorium on their customs duties.

Blockchain, AI, IoT: How India can help farmers by leveraging these technologies

Santosh Sarangi | May 26, 2020

India presently has tremendous opportunity to revive its farm sector with technologies like AI, blockchain & IoT. Companies have begun to use ETs in agriculture, directed towards three broad interventions - crop & soil monitoring, predictive agricultural analytics and supply chain management.

“A startup based only on cool technology will fail”

Prof Nandu Nandkishore | May 25, 2020

Investors are probably not going to be as bullish about evaluations for startups, as they would have been 2-3 years ago. Business case from startup founders has to be much sharper with comprehensive scenario planning.

The future is digital: AI and ML in a post COVID-19 world

Sudipta Ghosh | May 24, 2020

Sudipta Ghosh, PwC India, feels that post-COVID, AI-enabled deployment of automation technology to reduce worker density without impacting output will rise.

Manufacturing ecosystem in India: Lessons from China

Dr Sunitha Raju | May 23, 2020

Dr Sunitha Raju, IIFT feels that India must prioritize manufacturing sectors with high technology spill overs & support productivity enhancement and R&D .

Startups post-COVID: If you are alive, you are in profits

Dr. Bhaskar Bhowmick | May 23, 2020

Dr Bhaskar Bhowmick, IIT Kharagpur, suggests a strategic roadmap for startups to deliver a solid comeback story, when the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.

“COVID-19 may set back automotive technology by 2-4 quarters”

Rajeev Singh | May 23, 2020

Rajeev Singh, National Leader & Partner –Automotive, Deloitte India, opines that COVID-19 may compel the industry to starve R&D investments to survive.

“Marketing budgets can be supported through pooling policies”

Narendra Kr Sharma | May 23, 2020

Dr N K Sharma suggests that companies manage their marketing budgets through consortia and pass on cost benefits to the consumer during the pandemic phase.

Agriculture post-COVID: An opportunity for evolution

Nikhaar Gogna | May 23, 2020

Besides tackling short-term disruptions, Indian agriculture can leverage the pandemic to emerge more holistically resilient through targeted interventions.

India at WTO: Valuing sustainability over niche trade

Abhishek Jha | May 23, 2020

India has taken a logical stance at WTO on protecting developing nations & LDCs from deep tariff cuts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 Economics: Tough choices, valuable lessons

Abhishek Jha | May 23, 2020

COVID-19 is compelling unpleasant choices, while reminding us that it may not be too late to retrieve the planet from our growth obsession in economics.

Covid-19 Banking: Low on contact, high on intensity

Nikhaar Gogna | May 22, 2020

With the government supporting credit to businesses under Aatma Nirbhar Bharat, banks have a key role to play in reviving private sector growth.

Marketing post-COVID: Be mindfully digital & practise cautious hibernation

Prof Sreelata Jonnalagedda | May 21, 2020

Dr Sreelata Jonnalagedda, IIM Bangalore, feels that limited and quality marketing communication may be a better approach in the present COVID-19 pandemic.

“India must incentivise services that support manufacturing”

Dr Arpita Mukherjee | May 21, 2020

With rising servicification of manufacturing, Dr Arpita Mukherjee, ICRIER, asserts that supporting allied services sectors will make India more competitive.

India is set for market-seeking and resource-seeking FDI

Prof Pravakar Sahoo | May 21, 2020

Prof Pravakar Sahoo feels that India needs reforms in infrastructure, trade facilitation, IPR, land & labour to replace China as the global FDI destination.

Startups post COVID-19: Plans perish, DNA thrives

Virat Bahri | May 16, 2020

COVID-19 has impacted strategic outlook and investor sentiment for startups. They must tap their entrepreneurial instincts & spot emerging opportunities.

“No correlation between export-oriented & employment-oriented production”

Prof Manoj Pant | May 16, 2020

Prof. Manoj Pant, Director, IIFT, opines that India needs to fast track FDI and identify its sectoral priorities to become a global production hub.

“Blockchain will improve supply chain visibility & diversification”

Pankaj S Dayama | May 16, 2020

Pankaj S Dayama, Master Inventor, IBM, explains how blockchain can help Indian SMEs become competitive wrt low cost suppliers in regions like China.

COVID-19: Cutting down on your marketing budgets can be lethal

Prof Sourav Borah | May 16, 2020

Prof Sourav Borah, IIM Ahmedabad, believes companies must be action-oriented towards marketing mix and customer engagement challenges post-COVID.

Marketing post COVID-19: Have you developed your recovery strategy yet?

Prof Anuj Kapoor | May 16, 2020

Prof Anuj Kapoor, IIM Ahmedabad, opines that companies need to plan a way to market themselves through the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery period.

“Startups should pitch on their ability to repurpose quickly”

Dr Rajat Agrawal | May 16, 2020

Dr Rajat Agrawal, IIT Roorkee, is confident that Indian startups will benefit from local demand & high quality skillsets post-COVID, and need to capitalise.

Crisis is an opportunity for brands to differentiate

Prof Anand Kumar Jaiswal | May 16, 2020

Prof. Anand Jaiswal, IIM Ahmedabad, feels that brands should prioritise responsible behaviour & social concerns during the COVID-19 period.

India’s path to become a global manufacturing hub

Nikhaar Gogna | May 15, 2020

India can gain tremendous ground from the global obsession to diversify from China, provided it makes timely adjustments in its manufacturing ecosystem.

Automotive industry post-COVID: How to keep the engine humming

Nikhaar Gogna | May 15, 2020

COVID-19 is a case of pure bad timing for India's automotive industry. But appropriate adjustments on the demand and supply side can reinvigorate growth.

Banking sector: Tiding over the pandemic pandemonium

Prof. D. N. Panigrahi | May 15, 2020

Prof D N Panigrahi, Goa Institute of Management, feels that banks must take carefully calibrated risks for sustained credit flow to the corporate sector.

US economy: Does COVID-19 signal the end of Pax Americana?

Abhishek Jha | May 15, 2020

Besides being the world's largest economy, US is also the worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Will this crisis accelerate the end of US' global dominance?

Aatma Nirbhar Bharat: Roadmap for self-reliant MSMEs

Abhishek Jha | May 15, 2020

Redefinition of MSMEs & liquidity boosting measures will aid in their revival. Considering NPA fears, the government may look at a fiscal bailout package.

Blockchain: The supply chain prototype of tomorrow

Nikhaar Gogna | May 9, 2020

Blockchain can be a vital tool to facilitate participation of Indian MSMEs in global trade and commerce, while minimising inherent inefficiencies and risks.

“Banks must inculcate sustainability & contingency planning”

Dr Arindam Bandopadhyay | May 9, 2020

Dr Arindam Bandopadhyay, NIBM, advises banks to ensure efficient allocation of capital & understand its linkage with business planning to sustain.

Marketing post-COVID-19: Return of ‘black & white’ purchasing

Dr Pingali Venugopal | May 8, 2020

Dr P. Venugopal, XLRI predicts lesser shades of grey in consumer spending post-COVID-19. This would imply prioritising basic needs over social orientation.

Pharma sector: Thrust towards self-sufficiency

Sanjay Singh | May 8, 2020

Sanjay Singh, Partner, Deal Advisory, KPMG India, insists that India must improve self-sufficiency & boost pharma manufacturing for global leadership.

E-commerce: India may see something similar to Alibaba’s rise post-SARS

Prof Seema Gupta | May 8, 2020

Prof Seema Gupta, IIM Bangalore, emphasizes that e-commerce may be the only option in the foreseeable future for retail, and companies must be prepared.

“Banks with sizeable digital presence will be more valuable”

Dr Pankaj K Agarwal | May 8, 2020

Dr Pankaj K Agarwal from Institute of Management Studies cautions that banks must be wary of frauds as they ramp up digital presence post-COVID-19.

Fisheries subsidies: New zones of contention

Abhishek Jha | May 8, 2020

A complete curb on fisheries subsidies may be daunting, but some cuts are definitely required to squeeze the overutilization of the marine resources.

India & RCEP: New equations after COVID-19?

Abhishek Jha | May 8, 2020

As India gains attractiveness for manufacturing post-COVID-19, RCEP nations are asking it to reconsider membership. Should India alter its position?

“COVID-19 may change choice & mode of delivery for banks”

Dr Vikas Srivastava | May 8, 2020

Dr Vikas Srivastava, IIM Lucknow, opines that banks must prepare for new opportunities post-COVID-19, accompanied by behavioural changes in customers.

O2O and D2C may become preferred channels for retail

Rajat Wahi | May 6, 2020

Rajat Wahi, Partner, Deloitte India, feels that omnichannel retail will be a reality post-lockdown, but marketers will need to be mindful of delivery costs.

Covid-19: Rejig product offerings for the “Brave New World”

Prof Arindam Banerjee | May 6, 2020

Prof Arindam Banerjee advises firms to rejig product offerings for a transformed market post-COVID-19, that has at least somewhat moved back to basics.

COVID-19: Socially distant workplace, enabled by technology

Nikhaar Gogna | May 6, 2020

The private sector is coming up with innovative solutions that enable companies to restart work while maintaining employee safety in the COVID-19 era.

Adapting Marketing to the Changing Times

Prof Akshaya Vijaylakshmi | May 2, 2020

Prof Akshaya Vijaylakshmi, IIM Ahmedabad, explains why marketing must reorient towards winning consumer confidence & the 'prevention of losses' mindset.

Covid-19: Business leaders should show knowledge & empathy

Abhay Singhal | May 1, 2020

Abhay Singhal, Founder, InMobi admits that Covid-19 taught him to expect the unexpected. He feels that companies must practice resilience in this period.

Indian consumer brands have a golden opportunity

Dr Venkatesh Shankar | May 1, 2020

Dr Venkatesh Shankar, Mays Business School, asserts that brands should directly connect & engage with customers to create value in the COVID-19 crisis.

Time for market leaders to build a legacy

Prof. Nandu Nandkishore | May 1, 2020

Nandu Nandkishore, Professor, Indian School of Business, opines that companies must work towards the broader issues in the market and offer solutions.

“India has made inspiring progress in wind energy”

S. Venkatachalam | May 1, 2020

S. Venkatachalam, MD & CEO, Orient Green Power Ltd, believes that India has the capabilities to be the manufacturing hub for the global wind energy sector.

AI post-Covid-19: Have the goalposts shifted?

Virat Bahri | May 1, 2020

Already recognised as a game changer across global economies, AI has acquired a new significance across sectors in the times of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Mid-market hotels will be better placed to reap recovery benefits”

Ajay Bakaya | May 1, 2020

Ajay Bakaya, MD, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts, admits that recovery for hospitality may be gradual, and hotels may need to explore new segments like pharma.

Hospitality in inhospitable terrain

Nikhaar Gogna | May 1, 2020

Hospiitality is among the worst affected by the lockdown, but players can use this period to explore new levels of customer engagement and up their game.

Era of uncertainty powered by Covid-19

Nikhaar Gogna | May 1, 2020

The lockdown has led to a major drop in India's power consumption. As industrial demand will take time to revive, the sector would need sustained support.

Silver lining for trade post-Covid-19

Abhishek Jha | May 1, 2020

Amidst the rising threat of protectionism, global trade may also see a welcome transformation in value chains, e-commerce and digital facilitation.

Rupee decline vs dollar: Should India be worried?

Abhishek Jha | May 1, 2020

Capital outflows due to the Covid-19 pandemic have exerted pressure on the rupee, but India is relatively better prepared due to its strong forex position.

“Urbanization is integral to develop rural areas”

Prof Brajesh Jha | April 29, 2020

Prof Brajesh Jha, IEG, feels that growth of essential & need-based rural infrastructure and region-specific clusters can help boost rural development.

“Robots may be helpful to industry, only if used selectively”

Prof Anupam Basu | April 24, 2020

Prof Anupam Basu, Director, NIT Durgapur, feels that robots can play a major role post-Covid-19, especially in mundane tasks and precarious environments.

“AI-driven changes will transform our work, workforce & workplace”

Rakesh Barik | April 24, 2020

Rakesh Barik, Leader, Technology Consulting, Deloitte India, feels that post-COVID-19, AI and ML will become integral to overall business strategy.

Aviation post-Covid-19: Wright brothers redux?

Virat Bahri | April 24, 2020

Aviation is not new to crisis, but Covid-19 presents an unprecedented challenge and disruptive opportunity for companies to rework on their flight manuals.

Gems & jewellery: Bracing for a new terrain

Nikhaar Gogna | April 24, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has dampened demand in domestic and international markets, but Indian gems and jewellery players are positive of a swift revival.

Africa: Food immunity in the shadow of Covid-19

Abhishek Jha | April 24, 2020

Africa must relax its import restrictions to allow countries like India to boost supply of food items amidst threats of a looming food security crisis.

Digital technology: Key to a healthcare revolution

Nikhaar Gogna | April 24, 2020

Investments in digital healthcare will help India stretch the capacity of its medical infrastructure and also explore a lucrative global market.

When oil becomes a buyer’s market

Abhishek Jha | April 24, 2020

India may not gain much from low oil prices due to lower strategic oil reserves. But low prices will help improve current balance and soothe inflation.

“Post-Covid-19, AI will promote 24×7 operations in factories”

Dr. Sriparna Saha | April 23, 2020

Dr Sriparna Saha, IIT Patna, feels that rise of AI in a post-Covid world, can move humans out of monotonous jobs, but they need to learn to handle robots.

“Migration is not a very effective solution to alleviate poverty”

Prof CSC Sekhar | April 21, 2020

Prof CSC Sekhar, Institute for Economic Growth, supports a holistic approach to rural development over migration, by integrating farm & non-farm activities.

“Rural industrialisation should complement agriculture”

Prof Arindam Banerjee | April 21, 2020

Prof Arindam Banerjee suggests that food processing industries be developed under a cooperative model so that surpluses are invested back in rural areas.

India Inc vs COVID-19: Local supply chains needs to be kept strong

Swapnil Jain | April 21, 2020

Swapnil Jain, Co-founder & CTO, Ather Energy feels that in the currently uncertain geopolitical situation, relying on international sourcing can be risky.

“Many IT service providers manage 85-90% staff work remotely”

D D Mishra | April 19, 2020

D D Mishra, Sr Director Analyst, Gartner, opines that remote work can be a great motivator with the right tools, process, culture, metrics and mindset.

Exiting the lockdown: Journey from life to livelihood

Virat Bahri | April 17, 2020

As the country looks forward to partial opening of the lockdown post-April 20, establishments & employees would need to adjust to a 'new normal' of working

SEZs in India: Need for policy review

Abhishek Jha | April 17, 2020

Share of SEZs in India’s exports has increased by around 4 percentage points in a decade. This high degree of underutilisation must be addressed.

Tangled web: The impact of coronavirus on Indian textile industry

Nikhaar Gogna | April 17, 2020

The lockdown has killed business and return to normalcy spells new challenges for the textile sector. But India mustn't lose sight of the larger picture.

Remote Economy: Is it the next disruptive business innovation?

D. Tripati Rao and Vanga Deeksha Reddy | April 17, 2020

While India Inc tests the viability of remote economy in fire-fighting mode amid the Covid-19 lockdown, it is worth analysing if the trend is here to stay.

Furniture industry: A sunshine sector for India

Abhishek Jha | April 16, 2020

India's furniture exports can benefit immensely from initiatives like cluster-based development, technical know-how, access to capital and value addition.

Remote working: A double-edged sword!

Nikhaar Gogna | April 16, 2020

Organisations need to carefully calibrate their approach to a 'remote working' strategy. If implemented properly it can be a win-win for all.

“Global rice prices could move upwards in coming months”

Nathi Ram Gupta | April 15, 2020

Nathi Ram Gupta, Chairman, AIREA, feels that rise in border closures, quarantines and market & trade disruptions could impact the global rice trade.

“Rural India has remained a provider of raw materials so far”

Dr Ramappa K B | April 14, 2020

Dr. Ramappa K B, Institute for Social and Economic Change, feels that value addition must be shifted to rural India for holistic benefits to the economy.

“Appropriate decisions could lead to bi-directional rural-urban migration”

Prof Nilabja Ghosh | April 13, 2020

Prof Nilabja Ghosh stresses on investment in human development based on technology, geographical advantages & global market demand to boost rural economy.

“World trade will take some time to return to positive rates of growth”

Prof. Amita Batra | April 12, 2020

Prof Amita Batra feels that the Covid-19 situation is truly unprecedented and will compel a rethink on the economic and trade roadmap across the world.

“Fixing the farm supply chain will reduce price spikes and crop wastage”

Jeevant Rampal | April 10, 2020

Jeevant Rampal, Asst. Professor, IIM Ahmedabad, supports measures to promote crop diversification and better alignment of farm produce with urban demand.

“India must strengthen technology-enabled farm value chains”

Kushankar Dey | April 10, 2020

Kushankur Dey, Assistant Professor, IIM Lucknow, believes that technology infusion and integration with non-farm enterprises will boost rural farm GVA.

Back to basics: Compelling case for a rural economy

Nikhaar Gogna | April 10, 2020

Strengthening rural economy would require a simultaneous focus on building industrial infrastructure and ensuring large scale human resource development.

“Manufacturing will play major role in the rural economy”

Dr Pramod Kr Joshi | April 10, 2020

Dr Pramod Kumar Joshi, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, feels that agriculture-driven industrialisation will be key to boosting rural incomes.

WTO’s peace clause: Key weapon for India’s rice trade

Abhishek Jha | April 10, 2020

India can invoke the peace clause under WTO to enhance support to its farmers. This will also help boost its rice exports and address global shortages.

Lessons from Chanakya Niti To Fight Covid-19

Abhishek Jha | April 10, 2020

India's efforts to control the Covid-19 pandemic and proactively support nations in need of supplies are in the spirit of Chanakya's timeless principles.

Protecting MSMEs from the Covid-19 catastrophe

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | April 9, 2020

Measures are necessary to provide security to owners and workers of MSMEs, while planning a phased return to business that doesn't compromise on health.

“India is well poised to lead the curve on shared economy!”

Prof D. Tripati Rao | April 9, 2020

Prof. D. Tripati Rao, IIM Lucknow feels that India can harness demography, growing market & sizeable middle class to leverage the shared economy.

Will Covid-19 also quarantine global trade?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | April 3, 2020

Covid-19 will severely depress the global trade scenario in the coming year due to severe supply disruptions, reduced demand and constrained mobility

Covid-19: Not your usual financial calamity

Abhishek Jha | April 3, 2020

A pandemic crisis like Covid-19 presents more perplexing economic challenges compared to financial crises, where the approach and solution are familiar.

Sustainable development: Making ‘green industry’ a living reality

Nikhaar Gogna | April 3, 2020

Private firms are already contributing to India’s Sustainable Development Goals; but they need to scale up and make it part of ongoing business practice.

“Covid-19 lockdown will have limited impact on exports”

Prof Manoj Pant | April 3, 2020

Prof. Manoj Pant, Director, IIFT, opines that lockdown impact will be limited, but recessionary issues preceding Covid-19 will continue to affect exports.

“Focus on sustainability, digital technology & domestic manufacturing”

Ujjwal Batria | April 3, 2020

Ujjwal Batria, COO, Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Limited, asserts that the Covid-19 pandemic will accelerate pace of digital adoption among Indian firms.

“Global audience is very receptive to Ayurveda as a concept”

Rasmika Bhatia | April 2, 2020

Rasmika Bhatia, Director, Preserva Wellness, opines that stricter regulation and better understanding of its science will help promote Ayrurveda globally.

“Covid-19 crisis is a great opportunity to revive multilateral trade framework”

Prof Pravakar Sahoo | April 2, 2020

Prof. Pravakar Sahoo, Institute of Economic Growth, feels that given the gravity of the Covid-19 crisis, the world can least afford protectionist policies.

“Contingency planning should become a necessary business practice”

Anindya Dutta | April 2, 2020

Anindya Dutta, MD & Co-Founder, Stanza Living, stresses on dedication to risk planning and management on an ongoing basis in a Covid-19 kind of situation.

Covid-19 crisis: Is it time to rethink long-term national economic strategy?

Prof Vivek Suneja | April 2, 2020

Covid-19 crisis is an opportunity for India to relook at its economic vision & citizens to question the impact of their choices on the economy & the planet.

Doctor or Economist? The unfathomable Covid-19 dilemma

Virat Bahri | April 1, 2020

While economic damage due to the lockdown is imminent, it is necessary considering India's current unpreparedness for critical Covid-19 cases.

Covid-19: Policy Soft-landing of Corporate Debt Explosion

Prof D. Tripati Rao & Ishan Mittal | March 31, 2020

To protect damage to livelihoods in the wake of the global Covid-19 pandemic, containment of spiralling corporate debt should be on policy priority list.

Product Profile: Hand Sanitizers

Abhishek Jha | March 27, 2020

With Covid-19 cases surging, demand for sanitisers has risen rapidly. Indian companies can use this opportunity to boost production & exports.

Is Covid-19 an opportunity in adversity for the Indian economy?

Abhishek Jha | March 27, 2020

While India's economy will take a beating, it may be better placed to handle Covid-19 compared to the developed countries and China.

Ayurveda in modern times: Back with a bang?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 27, 2020

The science of Ayurveda has gained increasing popularity among Indians, but it must evolve to gain further credibility & traction across markets.

“India must start mass testing for Covid-19 with greater speed”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 27, 2020

Dr. Parthajit Kayal feels that rapid action on Covid-19 testing & building a large network of labs & quarantine facilities across India are necessary.

“India should be able to absorb the Covid-19 shock within a year”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 27, 2020

Dr. Arup Mitra, South Asian University, believes that being a mature economy, India may not face a deletirious effect of Covid-19 in the medium term.

“South Korea & Taiwan have learnt their lessons and tackled Covid-19 well”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 27, 2020

Dr. Gangadharan S, Madras School of Economics, feels effective coordination and use of IT can help prevent the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic.

“Loss in GVA would be around 2% of GDP due to the Covid-19 lockdown”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 27, 2020

Prof. Manoj Panda, RBI Chair Professor, Institute of Economic Growth argues why the current estimates about the GDP impact of Covid-19 are an overestimation

“We must avoid the overreaction during the 2008 economic crisis”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 27, 2020

Prof Ashima Goyal, IGIDR, supports temporary Covid-19 economic relief measures to protect viable firms, while ensuring minimal moral hazard.

Economic Implications of lockdown in India in the Wake of Covid-19

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 26, 2020

Covid-19 led lockdown will seriously impact livelihoods of the poor, making it critical to keep supply chains for essential commodities running.

Technical Textiles: Weaving a new landscape

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 26, 2020

India holds promise in technical textiles, but it needs to promote high end manufacturing, standardisation and innovation to compete in the global market.

“Businesses could take a year to recover from losses due to COVID-19”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 26, 2020

Dr Arpita Mukherjee, Professor, ICRIER, speaks on the economic impact of COVID-19, & how the health infrastructure should be primed for such events.

Helping aviation tide through the ‘Corona’ pocket

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 20, 2020

Exemption of ATF taxes & facilitating cargo-only flights could save aviation from Covid-19, and also keep supply lines open in this crucial period.

Covid 19: Three strikes for global economy

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 20, 2020

The novel-coronavirus is casting an unprecedented shadow of uncertainty across sectors and markets, leading to fears of a global economic recession.

Food safety in India: The inside out approach

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 20, 2020

After playing a key role in reducing export rejections, FSSAI's focus will now be on mapping domestic food classification with HS Codes.

Solar rooftops: Crossing over to the brighter side

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 20, 2020

India should create a conducive ecosystem for solar rooftops by easing processes, favouring quality products, financial support, & educating consumers.

“India should launch its own innovations for cost effectiveness in solar energy”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 20, 2020

Gaurav Aggarwal, Vice Chairman, Sainik Industries feels Indian innovation can achieve cost effectiveness in solar energy, just like space aeronautics.

“Coronavirus gives India an opportunity to be solar rooftop manufacturing hub”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 20, 2020

Amit Kumar, Senior Director, TERI, stresses on the need for active public engagement & sensitization to promote solar rooftops in India.

Artificial intelligence for real education

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 13, 2020

Artificial intelligence can prove to be a game changer for the education system, provided India works at an accelerated pace for its adoption.

Coronavirus & trade: Domino effect of black swan events?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 13, 2020

The heightened global uncertainty due to the novel coronavirus could affect India's foreign trade to a much higher degree than current projections indicate.

“AYUSH Ministry made it mandatory for the medicines to have a GMP”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 13, 2020

Dr. Sachith Shetty, CMO, Ayush - South Delhi Municipal Corporation, elaborates how India is working to ensure wider global acceptance of Ayurveda.

Country Profile – Indonesia

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 13, 2020

Even as India has walked out of RCEP, planned CECA negotiations with Indonesia could help address untapped opportunities in bilateral trade.

Oil prices: The Kingdom pushes for market dominance

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 13, 2020

Besides grabbing market share, Saudi Arabia's reduction of oil prices is a litmus test for its economy, as it moves towards lower oil dependence.

“Indian SMEs are mature enough for organic growth in Europe”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 12, 2020

Ms. Aparajita Sen, Inward Investment Manager, AD Normandie, discusses various lucrative opportunities for Indian businesses in Normandy, France.

“US tech industry is advocating for HIB Visa flexibility”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 6, 2020

Partha Iyengar, Country Manager Research (India), Gartner, elaborates why India will remain a preferred choice for the global IT industry.

Co-living: Ray of hope in the urban sprawl

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 6, 2020

Co-living spaces provide a viable solution to the menace of space scarcity in India's urban centres, while proving lucrative avenues to property owners.

FDI in India: Below the tip of the iceberg

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 6, 2020

India's FDI surge has boosted exports, but a concerted effort is necessary to ensure that investment benefits more sectors and states of the economy.

Digital lending: Shot in the arm for MSMEs?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 6, 2020

Digital lending can play a pivotal role for Indian SMEs, but players must ensure a robust data security, risk identification & mitigation framework.

Product Profile: Helicopters

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 6, 2020

India's aggressive efforts to boost indigenisation in the defence sector are expected to propel exports of helicopters from the country.

“Slowdown will accelerate the rise of sharing economy”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 6, 2020

New York University Prof. Arun Sundararajan talks to TPCI about the drivers of sharing economy in India and how the slowdown can be an opportunity.

Brexit: A Pandora’s Box for the Indian IT sector?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 28, 2020

Brexit provides greater growth avenues for the Indian IT sector, but the transition period also promises a number of challenges.

Currency Depreciation: No one size fits all

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 28, 2020

Econometric analysis shows a more positive correlation between currency depreciation & balance of trade for developed nations vis-a-vis developing ones.

“Automation has added more jobs for the Indian IT-BPM sector”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 28, 2020

Keshav Murugesh, Group CEO, WNS & Chairman, NASSCOM, discusses how India's IT-BPM industry is tackling growth challenges & fast changing technology trends.

In service of food security

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 28, 2020

Supporting a dynamic and competitive services sector can contribute greatly to the overall health of the agriculture sector and boost food security.

“AR is creating awareness in distant areas”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 26, 2020

Dr. Niranjan Naik, Director of Breast & Gastro-Intestinal Onco-Surgery at Fortis Memorial Research Institute (FMRI), Gurgaon, tells TPCI about various AR applications like AccuVein, Hololens & Google Glass which are proving to be quite beneficial for the health sector.

US-India: An improperly ‘developed’ judgement

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 21, 2020

An arbitrary & poorly thought out mechanism by US to declare India a developed nation is not a healthy sign for the weakening multilateral framework.

Sizing up the next wave of conglomerates

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 21, 2020

Emerging market conglomerates must strengthen themselves amidst rising competition, technology disruption & a growing clamour against their very existence.

“At this stage, India is not ready for a trade deal with US”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 21, 2020

Dr Arpita Mukherjee, Professor, ICRIER, speaks on the fallout of the US according developed country status to India and the prospects of the trade deal.

Coronavirus & face masks: Learning the right lessons

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 21, 2020

The surge in demand of face masks due to the coronavirus scare exposes a dire shortage of supply, which should be a wake up call to the Indian industry.

API dependence: Indian pharma’s health hazard

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 20, 2020

The Indian pharma industry needs to be encouraged to scale up production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and reduce import dependence.

“If the Coronavirus situation prolongs, API supplies will begin drying up”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 20, 2020

Dr. Sakthivel Selvaraj feels that India should enhance the capacity of its public sector to reduce its dependence on imported APIs.

Coronavirus & food trade: Will an Indian recipe do the trick?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 14, 2020

Can India's food sector step up to address supply disruptions due to the coronavirus epidemic in China? TPCI's research team presents a holistic analysis.

Digital tax: Plugging the loopholes

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 14, 2020

India needs to look beyond the concept of PE, redefine the principle of profit attribution & push for multilateral action in its digital tax laws.

WTO Ministerial 2020: Just another lost battle?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 14, 2020

With battle lines deepening between developed and developing nations on a range of issues, can MC12 overcome past failures and lend direction to the WTO?

Product Profile – Ceramic Tiles

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 14, 2020

The ceramic tiles industry looks promising in India, with a resurgent domestic market and yet untapped potential in developed countries.

“If we can’t make AR-based applications interesting, people won’t be inclined to use it”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 13, 2020

Dr. Debi Prosad Dogra, Assistant Professor, IIT Bhubhaneshwar, talks to TPCI about the applications of augmented reality in Indian healthcare sector.

“Trade shows help exporters capture market demand and standards”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 7, 2020

Dr Pralok Gupta, Associate Professor, Centre for WTO Studies, IIFT, discusses ways to improve India’s farm exports in this interaction with TPCI.

Heritage Tourism: Recapturing a missed opportunity

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 7, 2020

India must examine why it still lags in tourism revenue despite a rich repertoire of heritage sites and greater cost competitiveness compared to peers.

Novel Coronavirus: Deciphering a global epidemic

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 7, 2020

The extent of impact of the novel coronavirus is hard to decipher, so both policy makers and industry must ensure they have contingency measures in place.

Auto Expo: Will the ‘electric vehicle undercurrent’ go mainstream?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 7, 2020

The government should leverage India's advantages and encourage more companies to undertake and expand their R&D operations for electric vehicles in India.

Budget 2020: Pushing the growth levers

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 3, 2020

Budget 2020 rightly focuses on accelerating momentum in the key pillars of the economy including farmers, MSMEs, manufacturing and infrastructure.

Idiot box eclipsed by smart screens?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | January 29, 2020

TV sales fell for the first time in 2019, which necessitates measures to revive demand growth and counter the rising preference towards smartphones and OTT.

“We can offer self-compliance as an economic rationale for food businesses”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | January 29, 2020

Rita Teaotia, Chairperson, FSSAI, talks to TPCI about how the body is handling the complex challenge of ensuring food safety in India.

Global trade for the new decade

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | January 29, 2020

It is important to strengthen the architecture of the rules-based global trading system so that it can serve the world for many years to come.

Product Profile: Lithium Ion Batteries

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | January 29, 2020

Pollution concerns, EV adoption, rising income-levels and demand for quality & uninterrupted power are catalysing growth of Lithium ion batteries in India.

Budget 2020: Fiscal Deficit is No. 2, Growth Revival is No. 1

Prof. D. Tripati Rao | January 29, 2020

The number one challenge in the Budget is to attain a higher & sustained growth, more so when the cyclical downturn is showing structural symptoms.

Indian PSEs: Temples of the Digital Age

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | January 19, 2020

PSEs should strive for global competitiveness in their strategic outlook and ensure digital transformation to stay relevant in the present milieu.

Country Profile – Australia

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | January 19, 2020

India could adopt a BOT approach in its negotiations with Australia, which will help boost competitiveness in dairy, wine, meat and processed agro sectors,

Trade agreements and India: Way Forward

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | January 18, 2020

Past experience reveals that India's relative gain in manufactured product exports is less than the partner country for trade agreements.

Marine exports will likely remain flat over the coming two years

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | January 18, 2020

Pushkar Mukhewar opines that India must work on negotiating easier import restrictions, standards and product diversification to improve marine exports.

Healthy route to sustainable rice trade

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | January 17, 2020

Adopting a holistically GI-friendly ecosystem should be a key priority of policy makers, especially in rice exporting economies.

F&B exports: Meeting global expectations

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | January 14, 2020

Indian F&B exporters must ensure good agricultural and labelling practices and proper branding to mainstream their products in target markets.

“We need to build capability and capacity in domestic production”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | January 14, 2020

Gaurav Agarwal, MD, IITPL feels that instead of attracting foreign players, government must facilitate domestic production of medical devices.

Product Profile: Ice Cream

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | January 14, 2020

India's ice cream market is projected to witness a CAGR of 18% by 2023, with rising disposable incomes, changing lifestyle & entry of international players.

India’s merchandise exports: Time to get bigger and bolder

Abhishek Jha | January 14, 2020

India has immense potential to diversify exports by concentrating on value addition in sectors closely related to its current capabilities.

Bound by a strong historical connect

Nikhaar Gogna | January 14, 2020

India should enhance exports of commodities like medicaments, rice, insecticides, vehicles, footwear & nuts to address its trade deficit with Belarus.

Beyond Prime Time: Era of digital enthusiasts

Nikhaar Gogna | January 1, 2020

As consumption patterns shift to OTT, traditional media companies will need to build marketing muscle around customer acquisition, engagement & retention.

Global trade in 2020: Continued headwinds, new momentum

Abhishek Jha | January 1, 2020

Global trade is expected to face strong headwinds in 2020, but new technologies could lessen costs & enable more efficient flows of goods & services.

Keeping India’s promise intact

Preeti Kumari | January 1, 2020

Stability in tax laws, transparent dispute settlement & improvement in contract enforcement will boost India’s attractiveness for FDI.

Product Profile: Ginger

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | January 1, 2020

Higher returns are prompting farmers to substitute maize, cotton and tobacco with ginger. But the focus should also be on competing in the export market.

Basmati Rice & Pesticides: Where does the fault lie?

Preeti Kumari | January 1, 2020

Focus should be enlarged to include the ‘judicious use of pesticide and fertiliser’ in order to reverse the decline in Basmati Rice exports from India.

Country Profile: Japan

Abhishek Jha | December 24, 2019

Japan's interest in India is high due to its huge market and human resources, making the latter a highly preferred destination for manufacturing.

WTO Appellate Body: From Birth to Death to What’s next?

Abhishek Jha | December 24, 2019

Since the WTO Appellate Body is rendered dysfunctional, it will be hard for smaller countries to hold larger countries accountable to trade obligations.

Higher Education: Reviving a forgotten legacy

Nikhaar Gogna | December 24, 2019

India must improve the quality of higher education, boost infrastructure, improve the R&D ecosystem and promote its brand to make Study in India a success.

Indian medical devices companies need a level playing field

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | December 24, 2019

Rajiv Nath, Founder & Forum Coordinator, AiMeD, feels there is a need to conserve medical devices sector with a predictive nominal tariff protection policy.

Feedforward effects of a robust startup ecosystem are tremendous

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | December 24, 2019

Deep Kalra, Founder & Group CEO, MakeMyTrip, feels that Indian startups have driven economies of scale, standardisation & bottomline growth.

Medical devices: Riding the wave of change

Nikhaar Gogna | December 16, 2019

Reducing import dependency and becoming competent enough to manufacture equipment indigenously will be instrumental in boosting India's medical devices sector.

Breaking the complex juggernaut of the cashew sector

Preeti Kumari | December 16, 2019

Harnessing the difference in harvest seasons for India and Africa can address concerns of both cashew processors and growers in India.

India’s economy requires more ‘hands-on’ startups

Dr Vivek Suneja | December 16, 2019

Dr Vivek Suneja, Professor at FMS feels that it is critical for Indian startups to focus on real economy issues particularly for services and agriculture.

“Slowdown may not last beyond 2-3 quarters”

Dr Amit Kapoor | December 16, 2019

Dr. Amit Kapoor, Chair, Institute for Competitiveness feels the slowdown is temporary & consumption will remain an integral part of India’s growth story.

Agriculture trade: Slip between farmer & market

Dr Parashram Patil | December 16, 2019

Good transport and marketing systems will promote best possible returns to farmers and improve India's agriculture exports in key markets.

Why should there be Googles, when we celebrate Infosys?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | December 10, 2019

Prof Anand Nandkumar, Research Director, Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Indian School of Business, lauds the innovation capabilities of Indian

Automobile sector: Looking ahead to 2020

CATR | December 10, 2019

Slowdown in demand & production of automobiles in India is expected to be temporary, and the sector is projected to pick up with improvement in the economy.

Product Profile: Cardamom

Abhishek Jha | December 10, 2019

Applications in processed food & cosmetics and volatility in production patterns of Guatemala provide increased opportunities for Indian cardamom exporters.

MSMEs need protection from foreign players

Samir Limaye | December 9, 2019

Samir V Limaye, President, IPMMI, feels that India needs to monitor import of packaging equipment from countries with which we have an MFN treaty.

Are trade shows relevant in the digital era?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | December 9, 2019

Despite the growing role of digital marketing, trade shows are still of great importance, as they definitely give your business an edge over competition.

Competitiveness by strategic design

Abhishek Jha | December 2, 2019

India needs to adopt a strategic approach to boosting the competitiveness of its manufacturing sector, which will hold it in better stead for future FTAs.

“India needs to work on factor market reforms”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | December 2, 2019

Prof D Tripati Rao, IIM Lucknow, believes that speed of execution and implementation of policy reforms are crucial to the success of 'Make in India'.

Country Profile: Afghanistan

Nikhaar Gogna | December 2, 2019

India should help Afghanistan get stability and develop its transportation, logistics, technology & human capital, so that it can be an equal partner.

Cluster approach to textile sector

Sameer Pushp | December 2, 2019

Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks targets industrial clusters with high growth potential for strategic interventions by way of infrastructure support.

Battling India’s growth recession

Abhishek Jha | December 2, 2019

RBI cutting rates may help tackle the economic slowdown. But the government has to support this by adopting a Keynesian approach.

Technology, the fuel for employment

Nikhaar Gogna | November 26, 2019

To tap the abounding opportunities that futuristic technologies offer, India needs a clear roadmap towards skilling its workforce & making them employable.

Product Profile – Bicycles

Abhishek Jha | November 26, 2019

Rising traffic congestion & shortage of parking space are driving growth in bicycles, but lack of the infrastructure in developing nations is a barrier.

Is domestic value addition the key to GVCs?

Abhishek Jha | November 26, 2019

India should aim to grow the share of foreign value-added exports. Domestic value addition may reflect a fallacy in terms of participation under GVC.

Diaspora can get us closer to India

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | November 26, 2019

Stephen Manallack, Chairman, Genesis India-Australia Horticulture Project, deliberates on major avenues of Australia-India collaboration.

Healthcare sector must employ self-regulation

Dr Pralok Gupta | November 26, 2019

Dr Pralok Gupta, Ass. Professor, IIFT feels that India has competitive advantages in both Mode 1 and Mode 2, which it needs to effectively leverage.

India-EU FTA: Still a work in progress?

Abhishek Jha | November 18, 2019

Consensus on India-EU FTA may be tough, considering the presence of tough issues like investment, e-commerce, IP and data protection apart from tariffs.

Country Profile – Vietnam

Abhishek Jha | November 18, 2019

Broadly the trade basket between India and Vietnam is complimentary and there is immense scope for escalating bilateral trade in merchandise and services.

Medical tourism: India’s quest for exclusivity

Shivi Takkar | November 18, 2019

India should build a national brand for its medical tourism services, step up on international accreditation and adopt a focussed product-market approach.

“India needs more preparedness”

CATR | November 18, 2019

Prof Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General, RIS, feels that India must reassess its approach to RTAs as well as the specific fears of domestic industry.

Policy prescriptions for cashew economy

Dr Parashram Patil | November 18, 2019

India's cashew farmers aren't getting a fair remuneration. To help them, India must relook at its import policy and also adopt farmer-friendly measures.

Logistics: Key to India’s economic success

Nikhaar G | November 11, 2019

Critical improvements in India's logistics sector are contingent on a holistic approach towards infrastructure gaps, skill development & technology adoption

“India-China trade deal could be a stepping stone”

Prof Manoj Pant | November 11, 2019

Prof Manoj Pant, Director, IIFT, feels that India must explore RTAs, as they will allow gradual adjustment to competition in a multilateral set up.

India’s endless struggle for crude oil security

Sanjay Kumar Kar | November 11, 2019

India's struggle for crude oil will continue for a longer period. Diversification of crude sourcing can mitigate risk of concentrated market power.

Product Profile: Farm Tractors

Abhishek Jha | November 11, 2019

Indian tractors are more economical and well equipped with digital dashboards, attractive designs and modern technology necessary to meet market demands.

Services trade: The unresolved dilemma of Mode 4

Abhishek Jha | November 11, 2019

A strong, commercially meaningful outcome in mode 4 will have huge potential benefits for services trade. But for now, it remains a contentious issue.

Labour’s share in national income continues to fall

Shivi Takkar | November 4, 2019

Labour's share in national incomes has been falling across borders and India is no exception. This needs to be addressed through coordinated policy action.

“Coastal shipping is still an under-exploited opportunity”

Dr G. Raghuram | November 4, 2019

Dr G. Raghuram, Director, IIM Bangalore, elaborates on how logistics in India can be a stepping stone for development of its trade with other countries.

India as a Health-tech Hub: Opportunities and Constraints

Dr Arpita Mukherjee | November 4, 2019

It is time for India to replicate its success stories in software development and medical value tourism in the health-tech sector.

“Not to ban plastic, but to plan!”

Dr R Vasudevan | November 4, 2019

Padma Shri Awardee, Dr. R. Vasudevan feels that banning plastic may not be a good idea. Rather, efforts should be towards changing attitudes.

Country Profile: Angola

Abhishek Jha | November 4, 2019

Energy is at the heart of the India-Angola partnership, since the country is emerging as the second largest African oil supplier to India, after Nigeria.

RCEP Impasse: Are Indian businesses necessarily to blame?

Abhishek Jha | November 4, 2019

Inda's businesses can't be blamed for being biased towards the domestic market. But we can't stay on the sidelines of mega trading blocs like RCEP for long.

Ensuring food is safe – the EU way

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | October 30, 2019

An extensive body of laws covers the entire food value chain in EU. In all its diversity, the EU is a single entity when it comes to safe food.

Assam tea industry faces economic crisis

Dr Parashram J Patil | October 30, 2019

Assam tea industry is on the verge of a crisis that would be a big setback to India's agricultural economy. The problem calls for a multi-pronged solution.

Product Profile: Milk Powder

Abhishek Jha | October 30, 2019

India needs to push quality milk powder, which has huge demand in developed nations. Collaborations with New Zealand, EU and US will play a vital role.

“The issue lies in management of plastics and not in the plastics themselves”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | October 30, 2019

TERI’s Sourabh Manuja argues that the proposed ban on single-use plastics will not have a negative impact on the Indian economy.

Demystifying India’s hunger problem

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | October 30, 2019

Despite being a leading producer and exporter of food products, India still ranks abysmally low on the Global Hunger Index. Where does the chasm really lie?

Country Profile: Canada

Abhishek Jha | October 21, 2019

Canada and India have longstanding bilateral relations built upon shared traditions of democracy, pluralism and strong interpersonal connections.

“Corporate sector may enable linking of producers with dairy farmers.”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | October 21, 2019

Dr. Rakesh Singh debunks the view that bringing the dairy sector into the ambit of RCEP negotiations will necessarily be disastrous for India.

“Indian exporters are quite organised and competitive”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | October 21, 2019

Ashwani Gupta, Director, Vividh Metaltech, feels that while Indian stainless steel companies are competitive, NTBs in EU & US are a big challenge.

Trade Inequality: Need for meeting of the minds

Abhishek Jha | October 21, 2019

Reducing global trade inequality requires greater coherence among nations to benefit from synergies among policies that often operate in isolation.

Groundnut exports: Dilemma of plenty

Nikhaar Gogna | October 21, 2019

Indian exporters must strengthen compliance for groundnut exports. But India also needs to take a firm stand on the arbitrariness of standards applied.

US-China trade war: Has India missed the bus?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | October 15, 2019

To attract FDI opportunities exiting China, India must select potential sectors & provide a facilitating environment, taking cognizance of their needs.

Plastic ban: Delaying the inevitable

Virat Bahri | October 15, 2019

The Indian plastics industry needs to move towards innovative, environment-friendly solutions, as the global war on plastics rapidly goes mainstream

“We should advertise the health benefits of quality spices”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | October 15, 2019

Rajat Luthra, Director, Unique Fragrances shares his thoughts on how India can leverage its positioning as the one-stop shop for spices globally.

Geographical Indications: A necessary trade tool for India

Abhishek Jha | October 15, 2019

India should aggressively push for registration of geographical indications to boost exports for products like Mizo Chilli, Goa Feni and Alphonso Mangoes.

Product Profile: Food Colouring Agents

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | October 14, 2019

The global market of food colouring agents is projected to reach US$ 3.2 bn by 2023. India can tap this opportunity by aligning standards with key markets.

Global trade post-Lehman: New horizons amidst legacy pains

Virat Bahri | October 8, 2019

The post-Lehman era has seen tepid global trade growth, increased protectionism, but also a decisive shift to emerging markets and new success stories.

Frozen French Fries: Case of the abnormal dip!

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | October 8, 2019

Frozen French fries market trends show that India has significant opportunity to enhance exports provided production & standards are aligned with demand.

RCEP & the conundrum of Indian dairy industry

Nikhaar Gogna | October 7, 2019

Seeing India's self sufficiency in the dairy industry and the associated livelihoods, the government should consider keeping it outside the ambit of RCEP.

WTO and the war against export subsidies

Abhishek Jha | October 7, 2019

Export subsidies are adopted by developed and developed nations. They distort market dynamics for both exporting and importing countries.

Country Profile: Saudi Arabia

Abhishek Jha | October 7, 2019

Saudi Arabia is working towards transforming its economy in a post-oil age, which opens up numerous opportunities for collaboration with India.

Plastic Industry: Victimized by the war on SUPs?

Nikhaar Gogna | October 1, 2019

Public policy should encourage the plastic industry to produce reusable designs and educate people on the importance of reuse.

Packed Water Bottles

Abhishek Jha | October 1, 2019

Bottled water demand is growing due to propensity for quality drinking water, fear of diseases from polluted water, and ease of portability & convenience.

Small Farms and India’s Agriculture Export Policy

Dr. Parashram J. Patil | October 1, 2019

Without the involvement of 85 million small and marginal famers in export business, India’s agriculture export policy will not be successful.

Evergreening of trade policy

Abhishek Jha | October 1, 2019

The effect of trade liberalisation on a country’s overall development depends on how it maintains a balance between trade policy and environment

12 much needed transformations that National Logistics Policy will unfold

Sameer Pushp | October 1, 2019

The National Logistics Policy will enable the creation of a single point of reference for all logistics and trade facilitation matters in India.

Economic slowdown: Breaking the vicious cycle

Virat Bahri | September 23, 2019

While the measures announced so far could boost supply, India still suffers from a tenacious sluggishness in consumer demand.

ICT import duties: Keeping India’s house in order

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | September 23, 2019

Beyond short term measures like ICT import duties to protect its nascent electronics industry, India needs to build competence across the value chain.

Services trade restrictiveness: Greater objectivity means better decisions

Abhishek Jha | September 23, 2019

India is rightly framing its own methodology to measure services trade restrictiveness and needs to drive a hard bargain on this matter in trade agreements.

Country Profile: Italy

Abhishek Jha | September 23, 2019

India and Italy are jointly working in infrastructure, tourism, railways, food processing, renewable energy, information technology and agriculture.

Cotton yarn exports: Spinning out of control?

Nikhaar Gogna | September 23, 2019

India’s cotton yarn exports have plunged 35% in the first quarter of FY’20. The industry is in need of policy support and new direction.

Ocean Economy & Maritime Trade: Exploring possibilities

Abhishek Jha | September 17, 2019

Achieving India's blue economy aspirations will need extensive cooperation between stakeholders, including private sector, scientific communities & NGOs.

“Intra-sector competition has given rise to a large number of NPAs”

Vijay Setia | September 17, 2019

Mr. Vijay Setia, President, AIREA, talks about how the Indian rice industry is placed on the global landscape and various growth challenges it faces.

India-ASEAN FTA: Ironing out the flaws

Ritika Bansal | September 17, 2019

The review of the India-ASEAN FTA should focus on addressing industry concerns and ensuring a win-win without resorting to overtly protectionist measures.

Product Profile: Saffron

Abhishek Jha | September 16, 2019

India has the opportunity to develop a nationwide brand of saffron, especially due to expectations of a steep increase in demand in the coming years.

India’s foreign trade: Need for speed & sustainability

CATR | September 16, 2019

While the export stimulus is welcome to boost growth, structural measures are necessary to ensure sustainable growth in India's foreign trade.

Global Agricultural Prices: Can history repeat itself?

Abhishek Jha | September 9, 2019

Supporting agriculture and giving subsidies may further depress prices and export volatility to world markets at the expense of smaller countries.

Country Profile: France

Abhishek Jha | September 9, 2019

India & France have shared strategic interests with growing cooperation in areas like renewable & nuclear energy, defence cooperation and cyber security.

Bananas: Keeping the dreaded TR4 disease at bay

Ritika Bansal | September 9, 2019

With its rich portfolio of banana varieties, India can take the lead in developing new, disease-resistant cultivars to combat the TR4 menace.

Indian leather exports: Can the industry keep its best foot forward?

Nikhaar Gogna | September 9, 2019

Capacity building, leather zone cluster, connecting to global value chains and impetus to innovation & brand building can boost value added leather exports.

“War between US & China is a technological one”

Dr Arpita Mukherjee | September 9, 2019

Dr. Arpita Mukherjee, Professor, ICRIER, talks about the dynamics of the US-China trade war, and how India should negotiate its interests at the WTO.

Product Profile: Coal

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | September 3, 2019

Allowing 100% automatic FDI in coal mining can help substitute imports, but business challenges could negatively impact investor sentiment.

Indian economic slowdown: How to reinvigorate consumer sentiment

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | September 3, 2019

Weak consumption has been cited as a major factor behind the Indian economic slowdown. Policy measures must address declining wage growth and poor demand.

Indian food processing: Roadmap towards value addition

Nikhaar Gogna | September 3, 2019

India’s share of high value and value-added agri exports is quite low. It is imperative to build a robust food processing infrastructure across the country.

Raising the bar for India’s marine exports

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | September 2, 2019

India’s marine sector faces critical gaps in the supply chain, which has a detrimental impact on value-added marine exports.

“Trade and FDI are complimentary”

Prof. Manoj Pant | September 2, 2019

Professor Manoj Pant, Director, IIFT, shares his insights on the highlights of Foreign Trade Policy, 2015-20 and the future roadmap to propel India's trade

India-Chile PTA: An opportunity to raise the stakes

Ritika Bansal | August 26, 2019

Under expansion of India-Chile PTA, Chile would want more and higher concessions, while India can look to expand the ambit to cover services trade.

India & RTAs: Learning the right lessons from history

Ritika Bansal | August 26, 2019

India’s trade with major partners in RTAs shows that it has been experiencing a trade deficit on an aggregate basis, which has increased post-2013.

Palm oil: Why India is on slippery ground

Virat Bahri | August 26, 2019

The government has addressed the duty issue on refined palm oil from Malaysia, but managing India's trade deficit in the product will be much tougher.

“Exporters must learn from grape & rice industries”

Azhar Tambuwala | August 26, 2019

Azhar Tambuwala, Director - Marketing, Sahyadri Farms, speaks about how the FPO works towards making agriculture lucrative for India's farmers.

Agritech startups: Will they prove game changers for Indian agriculture?

Nikhaar Gogna | August 26, 2019

Agritech startups can play a catalytic role in value creation across the agri chain, but they need the right support to develop India-specific solutions.

“India needs to tap EU to increase its honey exports”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | August 19, 2019

Arshdeep Singh, MD, Allied Natural Product, talks about how Indian players need to align to enhance their competitiveness in honey and penetrate new markets

India-Egypt trade: Time for a little nudge

Ritika Bansal | August 19, 2019

Significant potential exists for enhancing India’s exports to Egypt in products like medicines, motor vehicles, cellular phones and bovine meat.

Yuan devaluation: Will China fall victim to its own manoeuvre?

Abhishek Jha | August 19, 2019

Depreciation in the yuan will make Chinese exports competitive, but add to the hardships for its consumers and enterprises.

Tourism: Chasm between ‘Incredible’ and ‘Credible’ India

Nikhaar Gogna | August 19, 2019

A lot of work needs to be done in terms of infrastructure, safety & security and health & hygiene to boost India's tourism sector.

Product Profile: Diamonds

Ritika Bansal | August 19, 2019

India is the leader in the global processed diamond industry. US, Hong Kong and India together account for over 50% of global diamond trade.

Ravneet Phokela, Chief Business Officer, Ather Energy

“Millennials will continue responding positively to electric vehicles”

Ravneet Phokela | August 12, 2019

In this exclusive interaction with TPCI, Ravneet Phokela, Chief Business Officer, Ather Energy speaks about the future of EVs in India, the scope for their expansion, the challenges to their proliferation and so forth.

Country Profile: South Africa

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | August 12, 2019

Complementarities between South Africa and India provide scope for greater collaboration in sectors like food processing, deep mining, defence & fin-tech.

Global Value Chains: Remedy for India’s slowdown blues

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | August 12, 2019

Participation in global value chains to drive exports is critical for India to emerge out of the current slowdown and achieve its long term ambitions.

Electric vehicles: Is India missing the spark?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | August 12, 2019

Soaring battery costs, high import dependence, lack of charging infrastructure & customer inertia.could hamper India's vision for electric vehicles.

Innovation in India: Missing pieces in a promising story

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | August 12, 2019

Despite a rich history, innovation in India is way below global benchmarks. A better industry-academia interface will help Indian firms compete globally.

India-Pakistan relations: Suspending trade a typically Pakistani self-goal

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | August 12, 2019

Pakistan's decision to suspend India-Pakistan trade relations is myopic. Given the quagmire facing its economy, Pakistan should be more pragmatic.

India can be a 100% EV nation by 2030

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | August 5, 2019

IIT Madras’ Professor Ashok Jhunjhunwala, shares his thoughts on the future of electric vehicles (EVs) in India and how they could be the next big thing.

Streamlining Food Trade through Technology and Data Analytics

Dr. Arpita Mukherjee | August 5, 2019

Integration and sharing of information across agencies and ports of entry will go a long way in promoting ease of doing business in food trade.

Product profile: Canned tuna

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | August 5, 2019

India is neither a major consumer nor exporter of canned tuna. It can raise its global market share to 0.5% by addressing critical gaps in the value chain.

Non-basmati rice exports: In search of new direction

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | August 5, 2019

India's rice exports could hit a 7-year low in 2019-20. The government must consider alternate measures of support & help them penetrate new markets.

India-Australia CECA: Breaking the impasse

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | August 5, 2019

Agriculture is a major stumbling block in India-Australia CECA and now RCEP negotiations. India can consider conditional access with tech transfer.

Country Profile: Brazil

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | July 29, 2019

Brazil is signalling an openness to free trade of late, and it is an opportune time exploit complementarities and expand the India-MERCOSUR PTA..

“Tea should be put in negative list of RCEP”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | July 29, 2019

Granting access to the tea market under RCEP will be disastrous for the Indian tea industry, especially due to weak growth potential in RCEP countries.

“We need to focus on enhancing the yield of coffee”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | July 29, 2019

Dr. Babu Reddy, Deputy Director, Coffee Board, talks about challenges faced by Indian coffee players, strategies to boost value exports and the future roadmap for the industry.

“We have built up our revenue on repeat orders”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | July 29, 2019

Rohit Sareen, Director - Marketing at Sareen Impex Pvt Ltd. takes us through the journey of his successful entrepreneurial venture in rock salt.

Auto industry hits reverse gear

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | July 29, 2019

The auto industry saw one of its steepest declines in sales in Q2. Resolving policy uncertainty, boosting liquidity & tax sops will be key to a comeback.

BRICS: Can they block the unilateral wave?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | July 29, 2019

A wave of protectionism is clearly visible in global trade as there have been series of sanctions and counter-sanctions. This issue is actually acting as a deterrent in practicing liberal trade.

Chinese economy: A miracle no more?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | July 22, 2019

As the Chinese economic miracle appears to be fading, India must tread carefully to leverage the benefits and also avoid the pitfalls.

Product Profile: Pepper

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | July 22, 2019

India's pepper industry needs to urgently boost its competitiveness in the face of the fierce challenge from exporters like Vietnam, Indonesia and Brazil.

Gems & jewellery: Exports losing their bling?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | July 22, 2019

To improve India's gems & jewellery exports, there is an urgent need for large-scale skilling, besides a strategic reorientation towards new markets.

Cashew industry: Living in unpalatable times

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | July 22, 2019

Cashew industry faces many challenges - stiff competition, lack of liquidity & huge reliance on imports of raw nuts. New growth avenues need to be tapped.

“There is no appetite in the world for Mode 4 commitments”

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | July 18, 2019

Dr Pralok Gupta talks about the various facets associated with the services trade, different approaches to GATS commitments and more.

Trade vs food safety: Where the twain shall meet

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | July 15, 2019

The Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (which is known as SPS Agreement of WTO) sets out the basic framework and standards

“Jewellery promotion needs to be enhanced”

Pramod Kumar Agrawal | July 15, 2019

India enjoys a great position in the global gems & jewellery segment, when it comes to the cutting & polishing of diamonds.

Country Profile: United Kingdom (UK)

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | July 15, 2019

The UK economy continues to face an uncertain future as far as its membership of the EU is concerned. Brexit remains a substantial drag on economic activities. A majority of forecasters anticipate risks to confidence

Agri-exports: In search of escape velocity

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | July 15, 2019

Even as agriculture remains a critical sector for the Indian economy employing 58% of its population, its economic contribution to India's GDP is steadily declining.

India-US solar dispute: What did India actually win?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | July 15, 2019

In 2008, when India and US signed the landmark nuclear deal, their collaboration was lauded as the most strategic and definitive partnership of the 21st century.

Farm to Fork: Is agri-marketing the missing link?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | July 8, 2019

India is a leading food producer, but agri-marketing reforms are essential to catapult the country to its rightful position in global agri-trade.

Union Budget 2019-20: New India drive amidst legacy pains

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | July 8, 2019

The Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman read out the Union Budget 2019-20 on July 5, 2019, amidst concerns of a slowing economy, weak investment cycle and uncertain external environment.

“Free trade hasn’t gone off completely”

Dr. Amita Batra | July 8, 2019

We can’t say that free trade has gone off completely & it's going to be taken over by protectionism; because that is not workable in an interdependent world where almost all production is highly connected through value chains.

Product Profile: Power banks

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | July 8, 2019

Digitisation has made individuals reliant on a number of electronic gadgets for a comfortable, smooth and convenient life.

Trade protectionism: Can the juggernaut be stopped?

Abhishek Jha | July 8, 2019

Backtracking from trade liberalisation is not a nascent phenomenon. While the US currently is leading on trade protectionism actions through tariff escalations, there are abundant evidences that it is pervasive across many countries.

Country Profile: Malaysia

Abhishek Jha | July 1, 2019

Malaysia is one of the most liberal economies in the world, with a trade-GDP ratio averaging over 134% since 2010. Openness to trade and investment have been key in employment

Data & e-commerce: Protecting the gold of the 21st Century

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | July 1, 2019

India is rightly reluctant to protect its data - the most valuable resource of the century. Premature assent to e-commerce rules will not be sensible.

EU-Vietnam FTA: Rough road ahead?

Virat Bahri | July 1, 2019

In an era where ‘market access’ appears to have become a closely guarded national asset, ‘liberalisation’ is under siege,

G20: Keeping the spirit of free trade alive

Nikhaar Gogna | July 1, 2019

The Thomas Friedman vision of the ‘flat world’ captured global imagination at the turn of this century. But just over a decade later,

Have India’s apparel exports bottomed out?

Dr Ishmeeta Singh | July 1, 2019

The Indian apparel industry has been through a tough phase with four successive years of weak growth/de-growth in exports.

H-1B – wrong bargaining chip for US?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | June 24, 2019

Last week, another chapter on India-US trade hostilities threatened to unravel amid reports that US was planning to fire an H-1B salvo against India.

TPCI interacts exclusively with the Chairman, Soybean Processors Association of India (SOPA), Dr. Davish Jain

Dr. Davish Jain | June 24, 2019

With Government’s resolve to double the income of farmers in the country by 2022, the role of agri-exports industry assumes significance to uplift financial conditions of the farmers and ensure renumerative return for farm produce.

Product Profile: Curcumin

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | June 24, 2019

The mounting demand of curcumin, a substance found in turmeric, in the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries is a major factor driving the growth of the global curcumin market.

Logistics in India: From barrier to catalyst

Abhishek Jha | June 21, 2019

With the rise of globalisation, the synergy of international trade and transport logistics has already become general direction and central theme of development for the global economy.

India-Ukraine: Exploring the upside of a trade agreement

Dr Ishmeeta Singh | June 20, 2019

The 4th Meeting of India-Ukraine Working Group on Trade and Economic Cooperation (IU-WGTEC), under the India-Ukraine Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical, Industrial and Cultural Cooperation was held in New Delhi in April, 2019.

Capital goods: Outperformer in India’s export basket

Dr Ishmeeta Singh | June 20, 2019

India’s export has increased from US$ 181.26 billion in 2008 to US$ 323.06 billion in 2018. During the past 10-15 years, India’s export basket has undergone several transformations.

Country Profile: Russia

Abhishek Jha | June 17, 2019

Russia’s economy continues to surge at a decent pace, supported by global growth and an improved macro policy framework.

US & India are changing trade policies towards protectionism – Who is going to gain or lose?

Dr. Rupamanjari Sinha Ray | June 17, 2019

The formation of WTO in 1994 was done based on the objective of moving towards a regime of trade liberalization, market access and free trade.

India, subsidies and WTO: Breaking the vicious cycle

Preeti Kumari | June 17, 2019

India has been on the receiving end of a number of cases at the WTO, wherein other members have questioned its subsidy protection to specific industries.

Rate cuts: Inadequate defence against macroeconomic distress

Abhishek Jha | June 17, 2019

The recent cut in short term lending (repo rate) by RBI by 25 basis points is a soft signal to improve liquidity in Indian economy without compromising on inflation targets.

Indian mangoes deserve many more connoisseurs

Azhar Tambuwala | June 17, 2019

India is a leading producer of mangoes, accounting for around 40% of global production of the fruit. The country is home to around 30 mango varieties that are grown commercially.

The API paradox of India’s pharmaceutical industry

Preeti Kumari | June 14, 2019

The success of the Indian pharma industry primarily rode on the twin pillars of expertise in reverse engineering and the Patents Act of 1970. The Act allowed for only process patents with regard to inventions relating to drugs, medicines, food and chemicals.

Product Profile: Activated Carbon

Abhishek Jha | June 10, 2019

The use of activated carbon to remove harmful impurities like organic contaminants from water has been practised since Roman times.

Impact of scrap use on energy efficiency of Indian steel industry

Aparna Sawhney | June 10, 2019

The metal scrap industry owes its genesis and growth to the essential fact that steel can be recycled infinitely without affecting its material properties.

US-India trade: Much more to review beyond GSP

Abhishek Jha | June 10, 2019

The Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) assures non-reciprocal, duty-free tariff treatment on certain products imported into the US from designated beneficiary developing countries (BDCs).

“India needs to diversify its apparel basket”

Mr. Rahul Mehta | June 6, 2019

While it is true that there has been an overall decline in India’s garment exports for the period April’19-February’19, apparel exports started picking up since October last year.

“Metals and capital goods should be kept out of FTAs”

Yatinder Suri | June 6, 2019

Import duties are walls designed to protect interests of domestic manufacturers against stiff and unfair competition posed by the foreign manufacturers. However, near zero or zero import duty rates as provided to countries with whom FTAs have been signed have rather gone against the spirits of the FTAs and have hit India’s domestic industries – be it aluminium, steel or copper makers as well as capital goods manufactures.

Aluminium industry: Dying a slow death?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | June 6, 2019

Aluminium, a non-renewable resource is of immense strategic importance to India, one of the fastest growing economies in the world. A number of sectors including power, automobiles, construction, packaging, industrial and consumer durables are dependent on this metal.

Indian pharma: Time to treat the ‘dragon’ deficit

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | June 3, 2019

The Indian pharmaceutical industry is the largest supplier of cost effective generic medicines to the developed world with 35.2% share of exports destined to US followed by 3.8% to UK & South Africa. But while Indian pharma players have successfully grabbed opportunities with off-patent drugs in US, they have been unable to crack the code for the second largest economy – China.

Cross border e-commerce: Don’t place the cart before the horse

Dr. K. Rangarajan | June 3, 2019

E-commerce is truly changing the nature of business around the world. Global e-commerce sales grew by 13% in 2017 to reach US$ 29 trillion according to UNCTAD, with the number of shoppers at 1.3 billion. Notably, the share of internet buyers purchasing goods and services from overseas vendors increased from 15% in 2015 to 21% in 2017, taking cross border B2C sales to US$ 412 billion.

Country Profile: Thailand

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | June 3, 2019

Thailand has been one of the most spectacular economic success stories as it moved from lower income to upper income status in less than a generation. The 1980s in particular brought immense economic growth and reduction in poverty levels for the country.

Are Indian agricultural prices co-integrated with global prices?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | May 30, 2019

The agricultural sector in India is progressively opening up to external trade, leading to interdependency between commodity prices across diverse markets.

India needs to enter global supply chains in apparel

Dr. Amita Batra | May 29, 2019

India is blessed with a favourable demographic dividend and has a pool of resources at its disposal that can bolster India’s garment exports.

Targeted PTA with Iran can give India a major edge

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | May 29, 2019

Iran is located in Western Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, the Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf. The country is in a transition phase towards a market-driven economy.

Modi 2.0: Rebuilding the case for ‘Made-in-India’

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | May 25, 2019

During the past four-five years, India’s export performance has witnessed more of a seesaw trend. Merchandise exports were in continuous decline between 2013-14 and 2016-17,

Can India’s apparel sector restore the balance?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | May 24, 2019

Indian textile exporters are quite bullish on the prospect of rising exports in the backdrop of the US-China trade war. For instance, the Synthetic & Rayon Export Promotion Council

Product Profile: Grapes

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | May 24, 2019

International trade of grapes has expanded rapidly over the last few decades, with out-of-season fresh produce now being traded and consumed globally.

Preparing Indian agriculture for the 21st century

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | May 23, 2019

Agriculture in the twenty-first century is reinventing itself as a new global business reshaped by globalization, standardization, high-value production, massive growth in demand (both for the food and the biofuel industries), retail and packaging innovations, and a ramp up in efficiency.

US-China Trade War: Mixed blessing for India

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | May 22, 2019

The last few days have witnessed an interesting turn of events in the trajectory of trade tensions between the world’s top two economies – US & China.

Graph Draft Dummy

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | May 20, 2019

Electronics exports: Positive signs, but many miles to go

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | May 20, 2019

India’s exports posted a strong growth of around 8% YoY in 2018-19 to reach US$ 535.45 billion. But after that stellar performance in the face of inimical global trade winds, the current financial year has started on a sobering note for Indian exporters.

Country Profile: Iran

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | May 20, 2019

Iran is located in Western Asia sharing border with the Caspian Sea, Oman and Persian Gulf. A unique feature of Iran's economy is the existence of large religious foundations called Bonyad, whose collective budgets represent more than 30% of central government expenditure.

Will Iran crude supply constraint impact India?

Sanjay Kumar Kar | May 17, 2019

India’s vibrant democracy is currently deeply involved in the last leg of celebrating the biggest festival of exercising democratic rights through general election. During the election time, many important issues often take backstage, but not crude oil sourcing, pricing and its strategic implications.

India’s CPI inflation below target, but could get worse

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | May 17, 2019

The Indian economy witnessed an upsurge in consumer price index based inflation, which rose from 2.86% in March’19 to 2.92% in April’19, the maximum rise in the last six months.

An ASEAN sojourn for Indian aviation

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | May 16, 2019

Creation of an energetic and competitive services sector is fast becoming a key characteristic of modern economies. For more than two decades, advanced economies are frequently accounting for two-thirds or three-quarters of services as the overall economic activities of GDP.

WTO Ministerial, New Delhi: Vanishing North-South divide? Not quite there yet

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | May 13, 2019

Representatives of 22 developing and least developing countries including China, Brazil, South Africa, Bangladesh and the Caribbean are converging in New Delhi on May 13, 2019 for a 2-day WTO Ministerial Meeting to discuss and build consensus on a number of issues.

Product Profile: Food Emulsifiers

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | May 10, 2019

The urge to meet safety standards and quality of food, transportation from farm to plate and storage are major challenges faced by the developed world. To cater to this demand, food emulsifiers are popularly utilised by manufacturers.

Does a US-South Asia trade agreement provide India an impetus?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | May 10, 2019

In the backdrop of a persistent trade war between US and India since 2017, both sides seem to have lost optimal trade gains that were expected under normal conditions. It has been a long held view that India needs to sign a trade agreement with the US in order to benefit from the trade liberalization process.

Is India’s e-commerce policy on the right track?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | May 10, 2019

A potential conflict is brewing in the WTO on the issue of formalisation of rules for digital trade. India has placed on record its strong opposition to the proposed e-commerce rules submitted by EU on April 29 at the forum.

US-India: It takes two to tango

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | May 8, 2019

Amidst heightened trade tensions with India, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross came on a visit to India to attend the Trade Winds Indo-Pacific Forum. Trade Winds is the largest annual trade mission programme of the US Department of Commerce.

Renewable energy in India: Light at the end of the tunnel

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | May 1, 2019

After four years of brisk growth when it doubled its renewable energy capacity to 70 GW, India saw a relatively sluggish growth in terms of power capacity additions in 2018-19. The slowdown was actually visible in thermal power as well, but for an entirely different set of reasons.

Country Profile: Chile

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | May 1, 2019

Chile is one of the most advanced economies of the Latin American region. Its strong macroeconomic fundamentals have enabled an accelerated reduction in poverty levels from 30% in 2000 to 6.4% in 2017 (World Bank, percentage of people living on US$ 5.5/day).

Product Profile: Almonds

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | May 1, 2019

World almond consumption has burgeoned by 10% each year over the last five years and we are seeing significant development in demand across both developing and developed markets.

India needs to strategically pave its oil diplomacy route

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | May 1, 2019

India’s crude oil imports has always been a matter of discussion, even during the pre-liberalization period. The importance of oil as a trade commodity can be assessed from the oil shock of 1973, when members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) formed a cartel,

Pharma Wars: US government body puts India on the ‘Priority Watch List’

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | May 1, 2019

India’s pharma exports posted a strong growth of 11% YoY in 2018-19 to reach US$ 19.13 billion. This performance obscures a series of challenges faced by the industry – regulatory challenges, margin pressures, price control in Germany and Brexit.

Australia-India trade: Making amends for lost time

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | April 29, 2019

When we think of India-Australia trade relations, the most visible export from the land of kangaroos that comes to mind would obviously be top cricketers like Steve Smith, David Warner, Shane Watson and Nathan Coulter-Nile, during the IPL season. But both sides would have reason to believe that there is much more to the exchange beyond curry, cricket and Commonwealth.

Canada – the new ‘Land of Liberty’?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | April 29, 2019

With the US on an increasingly protectionist drive, H-1B visa processes are getting increasingly more complicated. Consequently, Indian IT professionals are now exploring a new destination – Canada – which is far more eager to accept them.

WTO: Growing dissent on India’s ICT duties

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | April 25, 2019

The case filed by the EU against India’s import duties on ICT products at the WTO has now acquired a whole new dimension. Five countries have asked permission from the dispute settlement body (DSB) to be a part of the negotiations – US, Canada, China Taipei, Thailand and Singapore.

US sanctions on Iran: Turm‘oil’ yet again for India

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | April 23, 2019

After walking out of the Iran nuclear deal last year, the US had announced a 180-day waiver to eight countries importing oil from Iran in November 2018, allowing them time to seek other sources of oil. Three countries have complied totally so far – Greece, Italy and Taiwan; leaving India, China, Turkey, Japan and South Korea.

US-Mexico-Canada Agreement: Why the world should take notice

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | April 23, 2019

The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has released its analysis of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the replacement for the NAFTA agreement proposed by US President Donald Trump. It estimates that the deal will improve the US economy by 0.35% when completely implemented, i.e. an increase in the country’s GDP by US$ 68.2 billion.

India’s export performance: Bucking the trend

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | April 16, 2019

India’s total exports grew by 7.97% yoy to reach US$ 535.45 billion during FY 2018-19, according to data released by the Department of Commerce on April 15, 2019. In line with projections last month, merchandise exports grew by 9.06% yoy to reach an all-time high of US$ 331.02 billion during 2018-19, crossing the previous benchmark of US$ 314 billion achieved in 2013-14.

Rejuvenating the India coffee story

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | April 16, 2019

International coffee growers are in dire straits at present due to the dual impact of declining coffee prices and increasing labour costs. The International Coffee Organisation estimates that around 25 million farmers grow coffee in 60 countries, and over 90% of these are small growers and are currently compelled to sell their produce well below the cost of production. This has pushed several of them into deep debts, and some have even abandoned their farms to migrate to the cities.

Product Profile: Pasta

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | April 16, 2019

Pasta is an Italian dish which is common across the world owing to its expediency and health benefits. It can be prepared using an eclectic array of raw materials such as durum wheat, semolina, wheat flour, etc.

Country Profile – Mexico

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | April 16, 2019

Mexico is among the world's 15 largest economies and is the second largest economy in Latin America. The country is highly dependent on the United States, its largest trading partner and destination of 80% of its exports.

RCEP negotiations: Is India destined for a losing proposition?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | April 15, 2019

The changing landscape of international trade negotiations has implied an emphasis towards mega trade agreements. This approach is seen as a stepping stone towards a global free market economy, with many countries expecting it to stimulate economic growth, boost trade and investment, reduce poverty and increase employment.

Complexities of SPS under WTO: An Outlook

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | April 15, 2019

The WTO agreements covers a wide range of issues related to trade, such as agriculture, textiles, services, food sanitation regulations and others; however, there are a number of simple and key principles that are included in the majority of agreements.

India’s apparel exports: Getting back to the drawing board

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | April 15, 2019

Apparel exporters are headed for difficult times ahead, due to a decline in demand from major markets. Although exports were showing promise in the beginning of the year, there is now a decline in both volume and value terms, according to a report by Drip Capital, which analyses macro trends and proprietary data of the top 100 apparel exporters which posted business of US$ 32 billion for the year till date.

Indian economy – Silver lining amidst dark clouds?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | April 15, 2019

India’s GDP growth slowed down to 7% in FY 2018-19, as per preliminary official estimates, compared to 7.2% in FY 2016-17. Agriculture grew at 2.7%, its lowest rate in three years and the services sector clocked a growth of 7.4%, its lowest in 7 years. But growth in industry has been strong at 7.7% led by manufacturing (8.1%) and construction (8.9%), even as mining grew at a much lower 1.2%.

India refuses to hop on to e-commerce bandwagon

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | April 8, 2019

A group of 76 members led by US, China, European Union and Japan have decided to start negotiating a new framework on e-commerce rules. Although the group is open-ended, India has declined to be a part of the discussions. India has previously opined that WTO must complete the stalled Doha round before bringing new issues to the table.

WTO fisheries subsidies: India asks for differential treatment

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | April 4, 2019

India is planning to submit a draft paper to protect the rights of its small and artisanal fishermen to subsidies for boats, nets and fuel. In this paper, India will make the case for special and differential treatment to developing and least developed countries on the matter, so that they can retain some subsidies critical for protection of the livelihoods of their small-scale fishers.

Indian audio visual industry: All the world’s a stage

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | April 1, 2019

India is home to the largest, and arguably the most diverse media and entertainment industry in the world. The country produces the maximum number of hours of content across the world – 2,000 films, 800+ TV channels, 250+ radio stations, 10,000+ newspaper and magazine editions and thousands of live events. It has the world’s largest film industry, both in terms of tickets sold and number of films produced.

Country Profile – Uzbekistan

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | April 1, 2019

Uzbekistan spent most of the past 200 years as part of the Russian Empire, and then of the Soviet Union, before emerging as an independent state when Soviet rule ended in 1991.

Basmati rice: Time for cautious optimism?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | April 1, 2019

India’s basmati rice exports are expected to reach a record high of Rs 30,000 crore in 2018-19, overcoming the previous peak of Rs 29,300 crore in 2013-14, according to a report by ICRA. Key factors driving the growth are strong demand from Iran, improvement in average realisations and consecutively increasing prices of paddy over the last three years.

Product Profile: Dried Fruit Powder

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | April 1, 2019

The global dried fruit powder market size is expected to reach US$ 23.96 billion by 2025 as a result of a positive outlook towards the nutraceutical industry. Consumers are continuously striving for the fulfilment of their nutritional intake through functional food and drinks.

Why India Hasn’t Signed a Single Trade Agreement in Last Five Years?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 29, 2019

The proliferation of regional trade agreements has continued unabated since the early 1990s. In recent years, this has led to widespread debate on the advantages or disadvantages of regionalism over multilateralism. The debate stems from the increased use of regional trade agreements (RTAs)

US-India trade war? Look before you leap

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 28, 2019

India is planning to counter the US decision to withdraw GSP on its exports by imposing retaliatory tariffs from the coming month. If the Indian government goes ahead with retaliatory tariffs, twenty-nine items imported from the US, including

India’s sweeteners for the sugar industry unfair?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 28, 2019

Guatemala has initiated a complaint against India at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Dispute Settlement Mechanism. In its complaint, the Central American nation has alleged that the sugar subsidies provided by India to its farmers are not in accordance with international trade regulations.

India-Africa – Partners in progress

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 26, 2019

During his address at the 14th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India-Africa Project Partnership, Commerce Minister Shri Suresh Prabhu proposed that India and Africa should consider finalizing a free trade agreement (FTA) or a preferential trade agreement (PTA). He stated, “We have a common future. We do not want to do anything at the expense of Africa. We want you to get into an FTA (with India) that will benefit Africa first.”

Capital goods sector – Engineering the next phase of growth

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 26, 2019

India’s engineering exports have grown impressively over the years, but the sector needs to move beyond low- and medium-technology products.

Egypt – hub for a 2-billion consumer market opportunity

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 20, 2019

India and Egypt share a long and incredible history of bilateral ties that date back to ancient times. The edicts of Emperor Ashoka allude to his empire’s connections with Egypt under the reign of Ptolemy-II. In the more recent past, this association is reflected in the close relations and shared visions of Mahatma Gandhi and Saad Zaghoul; as well as Gamal Abdel Nasser and Jawaharlal Nehru.

Indo-China trade: Is the balance tilting?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 15, 2019

India’s huge trade deficit with China has been a persistent area of concern over the years. In 2017-18, the trade deficit had reached a record high of US$ 63 billion.

India’s exports to set new record in 2018-19

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 15, 2019

During his address to global CEOs and trading partners at the eighth International Engineering Sourcing Show (IESS) Commerce Secretary Mr. Anup Wadhawan expressed confidence that India’s exports will reach a record high in 2018-19.

Egypt SEZs looking at Indian investment

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 15, 2019

An official delegation from Egypt, comprising of Government and privately owned SEZs in Egypt, is coming to India to seek investments from light and medium industries such as, but not limited to, automotive (auto parts, tyres and rubbers, automobile manufacturers), machinery (construction machinery & heavy trucks, agriculture & farm machinery, and industrial machinery), chemicals (industrial chemicals and household chemicals), packaging (paper packaging, metal and glass containers), food products (agriculture products, packaged foods and meats), building material (construction material) and electrical equipment (electronics & home appliances, and household products).

Product Profile – Yogurt

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 14, 2019

Worldwide sales for yogurt exports by country totalled US$2.4 billion in 2018. The overall value of yogurt exports increased by an average 3.8% for all exporting countries since 2013 when yogurt shipments were valued at $2.28 billion.

India to focus on developing Hydro Power Sector

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 14, 2019

India, a country blessed with natural resources and endowed with large hydro power potential of 1,45,320 MW of which only about 45,400 MW has been utilized so far, is poised to develop this huge potential further. The decision was taken recently at the Union Cabinet meeting that was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India-Saudi Arabia JV in Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemicals given go-ahead

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 14, 2019

The Joint Venture between global majors such as Saudi Aramco and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) with Indian oil marketing companies – Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) for 50% stake each in Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemicals (RRPCL) has been given a go-ahead by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi Government hours before the election dates were announced by the Election Commission of India.

Countering Trump’s stand on India’s protectionist outlook

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 14, 2019

While justifying the withdrawal of GSP rates, the US President Trump pronounced recently that India is an economy which applies high and complex protectionist measures. In this article, we are analysing technically the real picture of Indian tariff and non-tariff structure of some significant products and comparing it with major developed and developing economies.

India in Penultimate stage of Finalizing E-commerce Policy

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 14, 2019

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) circulated the draft e-commerce policy couple of weeks back in which it proposed regulating cross-border data flows, locating computing facilities within the country to ensure job creation and setting up a dedicated data authority for issues related to sharing of community data. It asserted that the data generated in the country is a national asset and citizens and the government have a sovereign right over it.

As Indian Chemical industry grows leaps and bounds, experts opine need for sustainable and judicious growth

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 14, 2019

At a time when the world is moving towards more environmental friendly use of resources, and even production-focused countries like China have come up with great reforms in their chemical industry, India is debating how its rapid growth can be converted into responsible growth. Henceforth, “Sustainable and Safe Use of Chemicals and Petro-Chemicals: Environment/Health Care/Safety” was the subject of discussion in the day-long seminar organized by The Week magazine in New Delhi.

Country Profile – Egypt

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 14, 2019

Egypt is the 62nd largest export economy in the world and the 72nd most complex economy according to the Economic Complexity Index (ECI). In 2017, Egypt exported $30.1B and imported $64.1B, resulting in a negative trade balance of $34B. In 2017 the GDP of Egypt was $235B and its GDP per capita was $11.6k.

Country Profile – Belarus

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | March 1, 2019

Belarus is the 63rd largest export economy in the world and the 30th most complex economy, according to the Economic Complexity Index (ECI). In 2017, Belarus exported worth $28.5 bn and imported worth $33 bn, resulting in a negative trade balance of $4.42 bn.

Next step towards globalization of Bollywood

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 28, 2019

India’s entertainment sector has historically enjoyed a special appeal in CIS countries, especially Russia, as the Indian cinema once had good access to markets of the erstwhile Soviet Union.

Will Trump succumb to China in the tariff war?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 28, 2019

A series of trade and geopolitical concerns continue to weigh on the markets in South East Asia, ranging from uncertainty around US-China trade to widening tensions between India and Pakistan.

Product Profile: Moringa Seeds

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 27, 2019

Moringa oleifera is indigenous to the sub-Himalayan regions of northern India and Pakistan. Moringa is the sole genus of the flowering plant Moringaceae and is indigenous to the Indian sub-continent.

WTO focusing to help least developed countries gain more from trade

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 27, 2019

The new 2019-2022 Strategic Plan introduced by Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) is designed to better position LDCs in the global economy at a time of growing concerns about trade.

Japan-EU inked the trade deal: Why India is waiting?

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 27, 2019

The EU and Japan are two highly developed economies that already have strong trade and investment links. In addition, Japan is an important strategic partner for the EU and a key ally in the Asia-Pacific region, standing already with second highest trade volume figures between the two.

Mega Food Parks to add value and reduce food wastage

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 27, 2019

With a view to grow agriculture sector exponentially, become a major contributor to doubling the farmer’s income and ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Government a major success, the Government of India is working vigorously to boost the food processing industry. This is important so as to add value and reduce food wastage at each stage of the supply chain, which is a major source of concern.

Emerging markets leading global tourism growth

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 27, 2019

The world is fast becoming smaller and smaller with a rapid growth in global tourism. According to a UN World Tourism Organization report, international tourist arrivals increased by 6% in 2018, to 1.4 billion arrivals worldwide. Experts opine that there is a discernable trend visible in this rapid growth of world tourist arrivals. A sizeable portion of this growth has been driven by rising demand for travel destinations in emerging markets, with India and China leading the way.

Up close with MBS

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 27, 2019

Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi broke the protocol yet again to welcome Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS). The Crown Prince too, in a welcome gesture, decided not to make his trip to India as a continuation of his trip to Pakistan but returned back to Riyadh only to travel to India the next day. This was India’s diplomatic win vis-a-vis Saudi Crown Prince with India ensuring that it was not hyphenated with Pakistan.

Foxnuts – Global prospects and opportunities

Abhshek Jha | February 18, 2019

Makhana (Foxnut), also known as Gorgon Nut, grows in India, Korea, Japan and Russia. It comes from the lotus seeds. Foxnut (Makhana) can be mixed with vegetables, popped like corn and made into yummy porridge.

Time to ensure long-term sustainable use of our marine resources

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 18, 2019

The terms “Blue Economy” or “Blue Growth” are increasingly being used in day-to-day parlance, as many governments, organizations and communities in both developed and developing countries are being aware of the need for a more coherent, integrated, fair , and science-based approach to managing the economic development of oceans.

New Era of Food Standards for International Agricultural Trade

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 18, 2019

The world's shrinking supply of arable land and water, the growing use of agricultural feed stocks for industrial purposes, and technological advancements will continue to play a vital role in the ability of agricultural and food production to meet the world's growing food needs.

Country Profile-Malaysia

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 18, 2019

Malaysia is located in Southeast Asia. Its territory is separated by the South China Sea into two similarly sized regions - Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia (Malaysian Borneo). It is part of the most successful regional grouping - ASEAN.

Burgeoning importance of Non-Tariff Barriers on Agricultural Trade

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 15, 2019

India has come a long way from being a food-deficit country at the time of Independence to a food surplus country. With its varied agro-climatic conditions and large production base for cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fruits, vegetables, dairy, poultry and meat products, the country has become a leading exporter of fresh and processed food products.

Strategic decisions likely during Saudi Crown Prince’s bilateral talks with Indian Prime Minister

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 15, 2019

Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman would perhaps be finalizing his wardrobe to board the Royal Saudi plane to New Delhi by the time you read this. The Crown Prince is coming on a two-day state visit to India on February 19, but he will also visit Pakistan during his to and fro visit to India and three other countries. This will be the first state visit of Prince Salman to India, who is also the Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Defence Minister of Saudi Arabia. Interestingly, Crown Prince’s visit is being followed by his new-found friend Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel.

Export Controls in India: Book Review

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 15, 2019

With special expertise on export controls and trade remedies because of her flourishing practice at DGS Associates, where she is the co-founder, Ms. Ameeta Verma Duggal excels in representing clients before the Directorate General Trade Remedies and the Director General Foreign Trade. Who else could have been a better person to come up with a voluminous book on the export control laws of India, which continue to evolve consequent to India signing the multilateral export control regimes in the recent past?

Chabahar port to be a key pillar of India’s Indo-Pacific strategy

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 15, 2019

Coming closely on the heels of the 40th anniversary of the Islamic revolution, commemorated on a rain-soaked day in Tehran – Iran, India and Iran are set to observe the ‘Chabahar Day’ on February 26 at the strategic port located in Iran and administered by India.

Envisioning a new India

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 15, 2019

Vice President Mr. Venkaiah Naidu, Minister of Commerce & Industry Mr. Suresh Prabhu and Finance Minister Mr. Piyush Goyal are all talking in unison of a new India marching towards becoming a USD 5 trillion economy by 2025. Niti Aayog too has unveiled plans to make India a USD 5 trillion economy, but by 2030. In its much acclaimed “Strategy for New India at 75”, Niti Aayog has envisioned to accelerate growth to 8-9% and make the country a 5-trillion dollars economy by 2030. It hopes achieve this goal through focus on doubling of farmers’ income, boosting Make in India, upgrading the science, technology and innovation ecosystem, and promoting sunrise sectors like fintech and tourism.

US’s trade pressure on India unjustified

By CATR, (Centre for Advance Trade Research) | February 15, 2019

The United States, under President Trump’s regime, is mounting undue and unjustified pressure on India in its trade dealings through threats like withdrawal of trade benefits under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP). This is despite India taking several measures to demonstrate its intent to address Trump’s trade concerns. Irony is clear! The US has the highest trade deficit with China, which had forced it to put tariff barriers on imports from China. In 2017, the US trade deficit with China was US$566 billion. US’s trade deficit with India is at US$22 billion only. Yet, while the US President Donald Trump speaks admirably of Chinese President Xi Jinping saying that he has ‘great respect’ for his Chinese counterpart, he taunts India and has even mocked Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi when listing India’s development aid in Afghanistan. This is despite India’s unflinching efforts towards narrowing the trade deficit.