India's Trade Negotiation Strategy
Conditional Engagement
India's approach to trade negotiations has historically been characterised by calibrated, conditional engagement — securing domestic political economy concerns (agriculture, dairy, MSMEs) while seeking concrete market access gains in labour-intensive sectors and services.
- India withdrew from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations in November 2019, citing concerns that the deal would not adequately protect domestic industries from import surges, particularly from China.
- India's stance in the India-US BTA: Commerce Ministry has explicitly conditioned a deal on receiving better tariff rates than competitors — a departure from the standard "we accept parity" posture.
- Non-tariff barriers (NTBs): India faces US NTBs in pharmaceuticals (FDA approvals), IT services (H-1B visa caps), and agricultural products (sanitary and phytosanitary standards).
- India's leverage: A large, growing consumer market; strategic alignment with US in the Indo-Pacific; and few viable alternative suppliers for US importers of pharmaceuticals and IT services.
● Tracked since February 17, 2026 · last seen June 21, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
21 Jun '26
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19 May '26
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