India underlined the need to leverage the collective strengths of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) for shared prosperity at the SCO Trade Ministers’ Meeting held in Vladivostok on Saturday. Stressing export diversification, reduced dependency and resilient supply chains, India noted that with the SCO representing 42% of the world’s population and 17.2% of global trade, coordinated action was vital to boost flows, address vulnerabilities, and support inclusive regional growth.
Representing the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Additional Secretary Amitabh Kumar highlighted the importance of an open, fair and inclusive multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organisation at its core. He called for a development-centred agenda that includes a permanent solution on Public Stockholding for food security, effective Special and Differential Treatment for developing countries, and restoration of a fully functional two-tier WTO dispute settlement system. He also emphasised the role of services trade and temporary movement of skilled professionals to drive growth and strengthen MSME participation in global value chains.
India stressed the need to diversify and de-risk production and supply chains through geographical spread, interoperable logistics, predictable market access and enhanced connectivity while upholding sovereignty and territorial integrity. It cautioned against misuse of export measures to create artificial scarcity or distort markets and said transparency in their use was essential to maintain trust in international commerce.
On the digital economy, India proposed SCO workstreams for transparent regulatory frameworks, voluntary cooperation on best practices and capacity-building for secure digitalisation. It showcased initiatives such as UPI for real-time payments, India Stack for identity and consent management, and ONDC for digital commerce, highlighting their low-cost and replicable models to reduce MSME costs and expand market access.
India also called for equitable climate action under the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities. It highlighted the Mission LiFE initiative and stressed that climate action must be supported by finance and affordable technology while cautioning that trade-linked climate measures should not lead to unjustified discrimination.
The AVGC sector was spotlighted as an engine of employment, exports and inclusive growth. India recalled hosting the first-ever World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit earlier this year, which brought participants from over 100 countries and launched initiatives such as Waves Bazaar for global collaboration, WaveX for creative start-up funding and Creatosphere for talent development. With simplified regulatory frameworks and 17 co-production agreements, India is positioning itself as a global film production hub.
India thanked the Russian Presidency of the SCO Council of Heads of Government for advancing a substantive trade agenda and reaffirmed its commitment to work with Tajikistan’s upcoming chairmanship in 2026–27 to promote sustainable and inclusive growth across the region.
