India’s eighth Trade Policy Review (TPR) at the World Trade Organization (WTO) will be held on July 21 and 23, with Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal leading the country’s official delegation.
The review, conducted once every five years for India, assesses the country’s trade policies and practices. The latest review covers the period from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2025.
The WTO’s Trade Policy Review mechanism is based on two key documents — a policy statement submitted by the member country and an independent report prepared by the WTO Secretariat. The exercise aims to improve transparency, predictability and understanding of members’ trade policies through a peer review conducted by the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB), comprising all WTO members.
According to the Commerce Ministry, preparations for India’s review began in June 2025, with the Department of Commerce coordinating with more than 100 ministries, departments and organisations over a 14-month period.
The government said India’s economy demonstrated resilience during the review period, recovering strongly from the pandemic-induced slowdown despite global uncertainties and maintaining its position as the fastest-growing major economy.
India’s combined merchandise and services exports climbed to a record USD 863.1 billion in 2025-26, compared with USD 676.5 billion in 2021-22, reflecting a 6.3 per cent increase, according to government data.
The government report and the WTO Secretariat’s assessment highlight India’s expanding network of free trade agreements, reforms aimed at rationalising the Goods and Services Tax (GST), and digital initiatives such as the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and the adoption of digital tools to facilitate trade.
As of July 20, WTO members had submitted more than 900 questions seeking clarifications from India, reflecting heightened interest in the country’s trade policies and economic trajectory. The queries span areas such as digitisation, MSMEs, women’s participation in the economy, the Viksit Bharat vision and the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
More than 40 WTO members are expected to make statements during the review. The Indian delegation will respond to members’ queries, present the country’s trade policy perspective and outline its vision for future economic and trade engagement.
The Trade Policy Review is one of the WTO’s key transparency mechanisms and provides members with an opportunity to evaluate each other’s trade policies and practices through a comprehensive peer review process.
