WT/TPR/M/313  
20 July 2015  
(15-3695)  Page: 1/58  
Trade Policy Review Body 
2 and 4 June 2015   
 
  TRADE POLICY REVIEW 
INDIA 
MINUTES OF THE MEETING 
Chairperson: H.E. Mr Atanas Atanassov Paparizov  
CONTENTS 
 
1  INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY THE CHAI RPERSON ....................................................... 2  
2  OPENING STATEMENT BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF INDIA ......................................... 4  
3  STATEMENT BY THE DISCUSSANT ................................................................................ 8  
4  STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS ........................................................................................ 11  
5  REPLIES BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF  INDIA AND ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ............ 51  
6  CONCLUDING REMARKS BY THE CHAI RPERSON ......................................................... 57  
 
 
Note: Advance written questions and additional questions by WTO Members, and the replies 
provided by India are reproduced in document WT/T PR/M/313/Add.1 and will be available online at 
http://www.wto.org/english/tr atop_e/tpr_e/tp_rep_e.htm. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  1  INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY THE CHAIRPERSON 
1.1.  The sixth Trade Policy Review of India was held on 2 and 4 June 2015. The Chairperson 
H.E. Mr Atanas Atanassov Paparizov (Bulgaria) welcomed the delegation of India headed by Honourable Mr Rajeev Kher, Commerce Secret ary; the rest of the delegation, including 
H.E. Ambassador Anjali Prasad, Permanent Representative of India to the WTO; other colleagues 
from the Mission in Geneva; and the discussant, H.E. Ambassador Esteban B. Conejos (Philippines). 
1.2.  The Chairperson recalled the purpose of the Tr ade Policy Reviews and the main elements of 
the procedures for the meeting. The report by  India was contained in document WT/TPR/G/313 
and that of the WTO Secretariat in WT/TPR/S/313. 
1.3.  The following delegations submitted questions before the deadline of 19 May and had been 
transmitted to the delegation of India: Malaysia; China; Australia; Mexico; Switzerland; Canada; 
Hong Kong, China; Colombia; Argentina; the Unit ed States; Singapore; the Republic of Korea; 
Kenya; New Zealand; Oman; Japan; Guatemala;  the Philippines; Chinese Taipei; Norway; 
Indonesia; the European Union; Chile; Brazil and Peru. The following delegations submitted written 
questions after the deadline and had also been tran smitted to the delegation of India: the Russian 
Federation; the Dominican Republic; Costa Rica; Thailand; Turkey; Saudi Arabia; Ecuador and 
Trinidad and Tobago. 
1.4.  The Chairperson was very pleased to note that India's economic growth had been 
accelerating and inflation had become slightly milder in recent years. The current account deficit had also been decreasing recently thanks, in particular, to the contribution of services exports, and 
the macroeconomic outlook was positive. The Chairperson was sure that Members would be 
interested in learning about what steps the au thorities were taking, or planned to take, to 
consolidate its economic development, as well as their views on India's future economic and trade 
prospects. 
1.5.  The Chairperson was also pleased to note that, since its last Review in 2011, India had 
continued its efforts to liberalize and facilitate trade, such as the introduction of self-assessment in 
customs procedures and the elimination of state-trading requirements for some agricultural 
products. India had also continued to liberalize its investment policies, including raising foreign-ownership limits in some sectors, such as insurance and railway transport. 
1.6.  With regard to the overall policy framework,  both the Government and Secretariat reports 
had briefly touched upon the Government's new Foreign Trade Policy for the period between 2015 
and 2020. The Chairperson understood that this Policy was released on 1 April 2015 and he was sure that Members would be interested in learning more about this Policy, as various Members had 
sought information in their written questions about the details and implication of this Policy for 
India's trade policy formulation and implementation. 
1.7.  As both reports indicated, agriculture play ed an important role for employment and 
livelihoods, but its productivity was still low. The Government, in its report, emphasized that 
increasing agricultural productivity was necessary to bolster food security. In this context, many 
Members asked questions about India's support meas ures for agriculture, including the National 
Food Security Act adopted in 2013. The Chairperson was sure that Members would be interested in 
learning more about how India intended to achieve this objective through the use of these and 
other measures and/or adopting new measures. 
1.8.  The Chairperson also noted that various Members asked questions regarding, for example, 
the increase in import tariffs, India's business environment and foreign investment regime 
including industrial licensing requirements, adoption and implementation of the Agreement on Trade Facilitation, clarifications for tariffs and other related duties and charges, recent amendment 
to legislation regarding anti-dumping measures, as well as regarding standards, technical 
regulations and SPS measures and their relations with international standards, export support 
measures, incentives and subsidies accorded to various sectors and exports, measures related to intellectual property rights, including India's use of compulsory licence, and measures related to 
manufacturing and services. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  1.9.  At the time of the previous TPR, Members had raised questions on: the complex structure of 
tariff and non-tariff measures, active use of antidumping measures, and the scientific basis for certain sanitary and phytosanitary measures. Members had also encouraged India to: eliminate remaining investment barriers, notify to the WTO various incentive schemes, enhance the 
openness and transparency of its government procurement, strengthen the enforcement of 
intellectual property rights, and liberalize agriculture and services. These concerns have appeared again in the questions posed by Members in the ongoing Review. The Chairperson was sure that 
these and many other themes would be touched upon in greater detail at their deliberations on the 
first and second day and they all looked forward to hearing India's responses to these and other 
queries. Of course, he was sure Members would ask other issues as well. 
1.10.  The Chairperson closed his introductory remarks by wishing India a very successful sixth 
Trade Policy Review. He looked forward to its active engagement in this TPR. 
1.11.  He also noted that a podcast would be made of the meeting which could be accessed on the 
Members' website. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  2  OPENING STATEMENT BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF INDIA (HONOURABLE RAJEEV 
KHER) 
2.1.  India welcomes the sixth Trade Policy Revi ew of India by the WTO. I thank the WTO 
Secretariat team for the painstaking work they have put in on India's Trade Policy Review and the 
comprehensive report they have brought out. Let me also convey our thanks to the Permanent 
Representative of the Philippines, Ambassador Esteban B. Conejos, for agreeing to be the Discussant. 
2.2.  India welcomes the interest of the WTO Membership in this Review. We look forward to a 
fruitful interaction with all of you over the ne xt two days and would be happy to provide any 
further information or clarifications you may require in addition to our responses to the 700 plus questions raised by around more than 30 Members.  
2.3.  We welcome this opportunity to apprise the WTO Membership about the Indian economy and 
our government's policies particularly our trade policy framework. We see such interactions with the WTO Membership as a valuable opportunity to gain an understanding of different perspectives 
as well as discuss some of the views expressed in the Secretariat's report.  
2.4.  The previous Trade Policy Review of India took place in 2011, a year when the global 
economic crisis was at its peak. Four years later, the crisis is behind us but uncertainties and 
challenges continue. While some of the developed countries appear to have got back on the 
recovery path, growth in many other major economies is still weak.  
The Indian economy 2.5.  Against this backdrop, the outlook for India holds out a promise of strong and steady growth. 
Several factors, both global and domestic, have provided a significant fillip to India's growth, 
particularly in recent months, such as decline in international oil prices, moderation in inflation and domestic reform initiatives. 
2.6.  However, the country faces several challenges. While nearly half the population of the 
country is still engaged in agriculture for their livelihood, the share of agriculture in total GDP is less than 20%. For the past few years, agricultural incomes in the country have come under 
severe stress on account of rising input cost and inability of farmers to get reasonable prices for 
their produce. We also have the challenge of en suring food security, particularly for the large 
number of poor in the country. Other challenges are to develop a robust manufacturing base in the country, generate employment for the large numbers joining the work force each year and work 
on the acute infrastructure deficit. At the same time, the Government also has to maintain fiscal 
discipline and this calls for a very delicate balancing act.   
New beginnings 
2.7.  The last year has been a year of new beginni ngs. We have charted out a brand new agenda 
for reform, growth and investment. This is a model of better governance with less government. While the business of the Government will be to keep the Government out of business, we are 
committed to improving the ease of doing business,  simplifying procedures, facilitating industry, 
trade and business to be efficient and, most importantly, passing on the benefit of the growth process to the common man by creating jobs. 
2.8.  There is a new dynamism in the Indian economy. The Government clearly recognizes the 
critical importance of the manufacturing sector to boost and sustain economic growth by driving 
mass production and production by the masses. A flagship initiative of the Government is "Make in India" which aims to facilitate investment, foster innovation, create jobs, develop a skilled 
workforce and develop high quality manufacturing infrastructure. All these FDI reform measures 
have been consolidated and can be accessed online. 
2.9.  To ensure that India's products are of worl d standard, we have developed a roadmap on 
measures required to protect consumers, raise the quality of the merchandise produced and 
enhance India's capacity to manufacture products  which can meet the requirements and standards 
of even the most discerning markets.  WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  2.10.  Similarly, many services sectors have been identified for internal reforms aimed at raising 
their competitiveness and quality with a view to enhancing India's engagement in international trade in services. We recently hosted a successful Global Exhibition on Services which served as a 
platform to strengthen our engagement in trade in services and attract FDI inflows into the 
services sector. This will be an annual event. 
2.11.  There is a special emphasis on improvement of physical infrastructure, for which a new 
National Infrastructure Investment Fund has been set up. 
2.12.  We have very liberal Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) norms across sectors. The FDI limits 
have been raised in insurance, railways and defence production.  
2.13.  A major focus area of our reform agenda is the ease of doing business. An "e-Biz", 
Government to Business portal has been set up to serve as a one-stop shop for delivery of services 
to investors and to address the needs of business and industry from inception through the entire 
life cycle of the business. The portal has a provis ion to apply and pay online for a list of selected 
Central Government services, to which we are adding more every day. Several State Governments 
are also part of this project.  
2.14.  A major transformative reform is the Goods and Services Tax (GST) slated to be introduced 
from the next financial year. The implementation of the GST would remove multiple layers of 
taxation and make Indian trade and industry more  competitive by integrating markets, reducing 
inflation and the cost of production. 
2.15.  We want to foster a culture of innovation, R&D and scientific research in India. As a step in 
this direction, a corpus fund was created in this year's budget. By taking broadband connectivity to 
all parts of the country, the Digital India programme will also contribute to making India a 
knowledge and innovation based society. A Self-Employment and Talent Utilization mechanism and an Innovation Mission have been established to nurture entrepreneurship and innovation.  
2.16.  The Annual Budget of the Government of India has delivered on some pressing issues for 
micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), such as providing access to funding and addressing the inverted duty structure in some key segments. 
2.17.  India's demographic advantage is well known. The challenge is to provide gainful 
employment to large numbers being added to the workforce every year, through job creation and 
skill up gradation. A dedicated Department has been set up to promote skill development and entrepreneurial activities.  
2.18.  Along with the challenge of creating jobs, we are mindful of the need for bringing existing 
labour laws in tune with market demands, while ensuring labour protection and welfare measures. 
2.19.  For a large country like India, financial inclusion poses a big challenge. We have an 
important new programme in place for fostering financial inclusion. This envisages universal access 
to banking facilities with at least one basic banking account for every household. Over 150 million accounts have been opened under this programme. Be tter financial inclusion will support initiatives 
for transfer of benefits dire ctly to people in time.  
2.20.  Major reforms have been initiated for improving transparency, efficiency and better 
enforcement. The recently conducted transparent coal and spectrum auctions are two such examples.   
2.21.  Apart from its transformative economic effect, the GST will bring in greater transparency 
and enable better administration by re moving multiple layers of taxation. 
2.22.  India has a three-tiered governance archit ecture which makes policy formulation and 
implementation a challenging exercise. To facili tate decentralized and more efficient planning, 
States have now been made equal partners in nation building in a spirit of cooperative and competitive federalism. To put this into effect, a much larger proportion of Government revenues 
will now go to the States. We are creating an institutional framework to enable States to play a 
greater role in promoting trade.  WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  Trade policy 
2.23.  We have put in place a new Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) for the period 2015-20 which seeks 
to make trade a major contributor to the country's economic growth and development. Its objective is to provide a stable, sustainable and predictable policy environment for trade in 
merchandise and services. While India's foreign trade policy does keep in view domestic supply 
concerns, it has rarely been used for this purpose. In fact, it has steadily moved over the years, towards greater liberalization.   
2.24.  The new FTP complements various new initiatives such as "Make in India", "Digital India" 
and "Skill India". It prepares India to respond to external challenges and to keep in step with a 
rapidly evolving international trading architecture. Our vision is to make India a significant participant in world trade by the year 2020. The Government aims to boost India's exports of 
merchandise and services and raise India's share in world exports from 2% to 3.5%.   
2.25.  We are also taking special measures such as outreach programmes and specialized training 
to help new entrepreneurs and manufacturers to participate in global trade. The FTP has a special 
focus on trade facilitation and the ease of doing business. Recently, the number of documents 
required for exports and imports was reduced to th ree, comparable with international benchmarks. 
We are also moving ahead in the direction of crea ting an electronic governance system in which 
exporters and importers would be able to submit all relevant documents online.  
2.26.  India has continued steadily on a path of trade liberalization and is becoming increasingly 
integrated in the global economy. While growth in both exports and imports slowed down during 
the review period, imports have been consistent ly higher than exports, an indicator of the 
openness of our market. The trade deficit has remained high in these years, reaching a little more 
than US$190 billion in 2012-13, about 11% of th e country's GDP and one of the highest amongst 
large economies.  
2.27.  India's tariff structure reflects the country's continuous efforts in the direction of trade 
liberalization. As indicated in the Secretariat report, while the average bound MFN rate for all products is 50%, the applied rates are much lower, especially in the case of agricultural goods. 
The simple average MFN applied tariff is just 13% for all products and 9.5% for non-agricultural 
products. We have a simple tariff structure, with ad valorem  duties on about 94% of our tariff 
lines. Alternate or specific duties apply to a mere 6% of In dia's tariff lines.  
India and the WTO 
2.28.  While the multilateral trading system needs to keep pace with new developments, it is well 
recognized that there are several asymmetries in the current trade rules which places developing countries at a disadvantage. The G-33 coalition took up one such asymmetry in the Agreement on 
Agriculture and was able to persuade the WTO Membership to work on this issue. We must aim to 
achieve a positive outcome at an early date.  
2.29.  India is committed to assisting LDCs for their enhanced participation in international trade. 
We have further expanded our Duty Free Tariff Preference Scheme for LDCs which was introduced 
in 2008. It now provides duty free market access on 96% of India's tariff lines and preferential duties on 2.2% of the lines.  
2.30.  At the high-level meeting of the WTO Services Council in February this year, India made an 
offer of preferential treatment to LDCs. This includ es waiver of visa fees for LDC applicants seeking 
Indian business and employment visas, technical assistance and capacity building initiatives and 
market access commitments. These preferences woul d remain valid for a period of 15 years from 
the date of notification by India. 
2.31.  In accordance with a commitment made by India in the WTO, we are running a Technical 
Assistance Programme for the cotton sector in six countries of Africa, namely Benin, Burkina Faso, 
Chad, Uganda, Nigeria and Malawi.  WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  2.32.  We are happy to have had the opportunity to serve the training and capacity-building needs 
of a large number of developing countries in the As ia Pacific region by hosting the WTO's Regional 
Trade Policy Course for four consecutive years (2011 to 2014).  
India in the Evolving Global Trade Architecture 
2.33.  The world over, countries seem to be negotiating free trade pacts at a frenetic pace. India 
too is negotiating seven such agreements including the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.  
2.34.  Mega-regional trading arrangements are new features on the international trading landscape 
with the potential to bring about enormous changes in world trade dynamics. Notwithstanding these developments, we should maintain the cent rality of the WTO in the global commerce and 
trade architecture. The Doha Round may have run into one obstacle after another but it is in our 
collective interest to work towards a balanced approach in all pillars, keeping its development 
dimension intact.  
2.35.  Fifteen years ago, India occupied a very smal l space on the global trade canvas. Today, 
foreign trade is a significant part of the Indian  economy. The trade performance of a country is 
closely and inextricably linked with its overall economic policies. As various new initiatives of the Government start showing results, India will be come more competitive in several product areas 
which would, in turn, open up better trade prospects.  
2.36.  In conclusion, I would like to say that through focused efforts aimed at overcoming the 
challenges of poverty, unemployment and income in equality, we are confident that India will play 
an increasingly important role in global trade. A lot has been achieved but we are conscious that 
more needs to be done. India is a work in  progress, an idea whose time has come.  
2.37.  I thank all the Members once again for their keen interest in India's Trade Policy Review, 
and look forward to our interaction over the next two days. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  3  STATEMENT BY THE DISCUSSANT 
3.1.  The last time I visited India was in 2010. I remember India's imposing structures as well as 
the country's size and diverse, ever changing land scape. India is one of the most ethnically varied 
countries in the world. Hindi is the official language and English is widely used; at the same time, 
there are 24 languages spoken by at least a m illion or more people, and at least 1,600 known 
minor languages and dialects. As a Federal Republic, the country is divided into 25 states and seven territories. And these States often vary greatly from one to the next in terms of 
infrastructure and the amount of revenue they generate for the country overall.  
3.2.  In relation to the world, India is increasingly becoming an important trading partner for many 
WTO Members. In fact, India emerged as the world's 3
rd largest economy in terms of purchasing 
power parity (PPP) according to the World Bank's International Comparison Program (ICP) data for 
2015. The strengthening of India's economic activi ty during the period under review has been 
supported by an accelerating growth where real  GDP growth was 6.9% in 2013-14 and estimated 
to be around 7.4% in 2014-15. India's per capita GDP was around US$1,500 in 2013-14. This 
achievement had been driven by services and ma nufacturing while agriculture had expanded much 
more slowly. While the growth rate has picked up , the inflation rate stood at 5.9% in July to 
September 2014. 
3.3.  India's trade policy objectives are stipulated in its Foreign Trade Policy (FTP), which is issued 
every five years, but revised peri odically to take into account internal and external factors. 
Through the new 2015-20 FTP, released on 1 April 2015, Prime Minister Modi aims to elevate India as a significant participant in international trade and to raise India's share of global exports to 
3.5% by 2020. The focus of the Government is to support both the manufacturing and services 
sectors driven by the slogan "Make in India" with emphasis on improving the "ease of doing 
business". While the motivation to progress is mounting, it is just appropriate for us to invite the 
Indian delegation to tell us more about this programme, starting perhaps with what India intends 
to make.  
3.4.  To put us all into perspective for the current review, allow me to go back to areas that were 
put forward during the last review. In 2011, Members invited India to consider: (i) revising 
subsidies in certain sectors; (ii) reductions in agricultural tariffs; (iii) streamlining of SPS and TBT measures on agricultural imports; (iv) removal of restrictions in certain areas of government procurement to Indian goods and services; and (v ) continuously increasing use of anti-dumping 
measures.  
3.5.  Let us look at how these issues played out since then. 
Subsidies 
3.6.  The good exports have played a greater role in contributing to India's recent economic 
growth than in previous years. The Secretariat re port noted efforts taken by India to diversify the 
sources of its growth, and in particular, to take advantage of more open markets around the world 
to export more goods. Increasing India's share in  global exports remains the main thrust of the 
Government's trade policy goals. India pushed exports in the past year through a series of new export incentives. Direct or indirect subsidies as reported in the Central Government's Annual Budget amounted to Rs 2,667.0 billion (2.1% of GDP).   
3.7.  The bulk of India's explicit subsidies continue to be aimed at supporting agriculture, food, 
fertilizers and petroleum such as interest rate subsidies under the Technology Upgradation Scheme for the textile sector. Price controls, which apply to some commodities, including liquefied 
petroleum gas, natural gas, kerosene, and agricultural products, are mainly aimed at providing 
subsidies to farmers and the population under the poverty line. In 2012, new price controls on drugs were introduced with a view to ensuring availability of "essential medicines". The central 
Government also allocates funds to subsidize lending interest rates, including for exporters. 
3.8.  It would therefore be interesting to know whether India had evaluated the effectiveness of 
these schemes and given consideration to streamlining its import regime. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  Tariffs 
3.9.  The Secretariat report indicated that the standard rate of tariff is the statutory duty 
prescribed in the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act. However, the "effective" tariff rate 
changes, based on general and "end-user" based exemptions which lowers the standard rate for 
certain users and adjustments made to the tariff through notifications issued in the Gazette of 
India. The effective rate can therefore vary throughout the year which adds to the complexity of the tariff and uncertainty for traders.  
3.10.  The simple average applied MFN tariff in 2014-15 is 13%, up from 12% at the time of the 
last review (2010-11). While around 75% of the tariff is bound, tariff rates for agricultural products range from 10% to 300%, compared with  those for manufactured products with 0% to 
150%). The agricultural sector being of critical im portance to the Indian economy, both for food 
security and for gainful employment, is the focus of India's tariff policy on supporting domestic 
agricultural policy objectives. 
3.11.  Members pointed out in the last review that India's tariff structure remains complex. In fact, 
rates increased during the present review period. With this current state, Members will benefit 
from having additional information concerning the future course of India's tariff reforms, particularly in terms of simplification and liberalization of its tariff structure, as well as narrowing 
the difference between applied and bound tariffs.  
SPS and TBT 3.12.  During the last review, a number of Members questioned the scientific basis for certain 
sanitary and phytosanitary measures adopted by India, and pointed out that certain technical 
standards could constitute a barrier to trade.  
3.13.  Since 2011, the main changes to SPS measures in India included the full implementation of 
the Food Safety and Standards Ac t 2006 on 5 August 2011 by way of, inter alia , adoption of 
four regulations related to Food Additives, Prohibition and Restriction on Sales, Contaminants, 
Toxins and Residues and Laboratory and Sampling  Analysis. The FSSA is intended to increase 
transparency of the scientific basis upon which India's SPS measures are adopted through, among 
others, harmonization with international standards. Furthermore, the Secretariat report indicated 
that India regularly participates in the activities of Codex Alimentarius.  
3.14.  It is worth noting that the report also stated that the authorities intend to recognize 
equivalence of its trading partners' SPS measures based on Codex Guidelines. And when FSSA is 
framing standards and procedures of an SPS nature , all regulations notified under FSS regulations 
are sent to the WTO where a total of 60 days is provided to Members for comments on draft notifications.  
3.15.  I would like to invite the Indian delegation  to provide an update on the process for 
harmonizing its food standards with international standards. 
Transparency and openness 
3.16.  During the last review, many Members lauded In dia's decision to participate as an observer 
to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement an d encouraged India to consider becoming a 
full Member. However, Members also noted in the last review that India restricted certain areas of government procurement to Indian goods and services.  
3.17.  As a response, India began the process of  formulating a comprehensive government 
procurement legislation that is applicable to all parts of the central Government; of which the legislation is also intended to accommodate requirements of the WTO Agreement on Government 
Procurement. In 2012, all ministries and depa rtments of the central government use an 
e-procurement system to publish all tender enquiries. However, in 2012, the Department of Telecommunications issued a notification concerning its policy for according preference to 
domestically-manufactured telecom products in procurement due to security considerations.  I 
believe this is something that Members would appreciate to know why this is the case.  WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  3.18.  In terms of FDI, India has also adopted measures to attract investments gradually 
increasing the number of sectors in which FDI is permitted and reducing sectoral restrictions. Since its last review, India has continued to liberalize its investment policies, including raising foreign-ownership limits in some sectors, such as pharmaceuticals, insurance and railway 
transport. I am sure Members welcomed these developments. 
Anti-dumping measures 3.19.  India is one of the most active users of anti-dumping measures among WTO Members 
having initiated more than 82 anti-dumping investigations against 23 trading partners during the 
period under review. At the same time, India is a major victim of anti-dumping actions. 
Anti-dumping measures nevertheless appear to be a double-edged sword since the domestic use 
of these measures is levied on top of tariffs that are already high thereby undoing the liberalization 
by previous tariff reductions.  
3.20.  Nonetheless, during the same period, significant changes were made to India's 
anti-dumping legislation including new rules of defining situations that are considered to represent 
the circumvention of anti-dumping duties, and providing for anti-dumping investigations to 
address such circumvention. India initiated one countervailing investigation during the period, but no definitive countervailing measure is in place.  
3.21.  Once again, I believe that Members would be interested to know how the modifications on 
the legislation on anti-dumping addressed India's concerns. 
3.22.  Overall, India had rolled impressive improvem ents in many areas. India is a willing 
reformer, but appears to be confronted sometimes by domestic challenges to change. As noted in 
the Secretariat's report, India's trade policy is largely driven by domestic supply considerations 
and also intended to attain short-term objectives, such as containing fluctuations in commodity prices. At the same time, market access remains impeded in areas of major export interest. In 
conclusion, I would like to invite India to expound some more on how its current regime is 
increasing the country's openness to trade and dedication to combat the aforementioned challenges.  
3.23.  Looking back, India and its people have made a lasting impression on me. I will always 
remember the extraordinary places of India with its ancient cultures, religions, monuments, including the fashion and film industries of Bollywood – all things great and small that add up to what we call an "Incredible India".   
3.24.  Finally, I would like to thank Her Excellency Ambassador Anjali Prasad for the opportunity of 
knowing and looking at India from a new perspective, this time through the prism of "Make in India". WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  4  STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS 
MALAYSIA  ON BEHALF  OF ASEAN 
4.1.  ASEAN and India formally became dialogue partners 20 years ago and since then, trade and 
investment between ASEAN and India have grown exponentially, expanding more than twenty-fold 
to reach US$67.86 billion in 2013. Foreign direct investment net inflows from India to ASEAN 
amounted to US$1.3 billion in 2013. With a combin ed population of 1.97 billion between ASEAN 
and India, as well as robust GDP growth, it is certainly a mutually beneficial partnership for both 
ASEAN and India. 
4.2.  We therefore applaud India's commitment in pursuing a modern, comprehensive and high-
quality trade agreement with ASEAN and five othe r Dialogue Partners in the region with its 
participation in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations. We believe 
that the RCEP will broaden current engagement  that has already been achieved through the 
existing ASEAN+1 FTAs. 
4.3.  ASEAN also welcomes the signing of ASEAN-I ndia Trade in Services and Investment 
Agreement on 9 September 2014. We hope the Agreement which is expected to come into force 
on 15 July 2015 would create not only further market opportunity but also strengthens our position in the global value chain. 
4.4.  ASEAN appreciates that India continues to be an active participant in the multilateral trading 
system and assumes a key role in the DDA negotiations. We look forward to working closely with India to ensure deliverables ahead of the 10
th Ministerial Conference in Nairobi, which would 
contribute towards our efforts in concluding  the DDA. ASEAN also commends India's trade 
facilitation measures which are being introduced to make export and import competitive and 
reduce transaction costs. Based on these develo pments, ASEAN hopes that India will submit her 
notification of Category A of the WTO Trade Fa cilitation Agreement and thereafter expedite the 
ratification process. 
4.5.  Some of us in ASEAN have submitted written qu estions to the delegation of India and would 
like to thank India in advance for their written responses. In conclusion, on behalf of ASEAN 
member States, we would like to express our appreciation to India, in particular Ambassador Anjali 
Prasad and her delegation for their constructive engagement with delegations in Geneva. 
MALAYSIA 4.6.  We take note of India's recent initiative to become a significant participant in international 
trade and to raise its share of global exports to 3.5% by 2020 through the new Foreign Trade 
Policy (FTP) for 2015-2020. The Trade Facilitation (TF) and ease of doing business (EODB) features and the streamlining incentives would certainly el evate India's trade performance. We also monitor 
with interest India's initiative to reduce the export incentive schemes and the phasing out its 
export subsidy commitment. 
4.7.  India has traditionally been a close economic partner of Malaysia. In 2014, India was 
Malaysia's 11
th largest trading partner, the 8th largest export destination and 13th largest import 
source. Our bilateral trade increased by 6.9% to reach US$13.84 billion compared to US$12.88 billion in 2013. Bilateral investment flows also continue to improve. As of 2014, 120 manufacturing projects with Indian participation were implemented with total investment of 
US$1.2 billion. 
4.8.  The Malaysia-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (MICECA) as well as the 
ASEAN-India Agreement on Trade in Goods and Services are another milestone of Malaysia-India 
economic relations. The FTAs have been instru mental in boosting trade flows between the two 
countries and supporting our business communities. The built-in review process demonstrates our shared commitment to continually improve the quality of our bilateral FTA and adapt to changing 
business demands, so as to enable our companies to better benefit from market access 
opportunities with reduced business costs. Both countries are also negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) under  the ASEAN plus 6 initiative which makes up 
45% of the world population and contributes towards a third of the worlds' total GDP. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  4.9.  While Malaysia welcomes the trade initiatives and further liberalization undertaken 
unilaterally by India over the review period, we are also concerned that a number of protectionist-like policy tools are still in place, such as customs restrictions and trade remedies that could be regarded as barriers to trade. Thus, we encourage India to review these measures holistically so 
as to enhance its exporters' competitiveness while synchronizing its approach towards imports 
from broader policy perspective. 
CHINA 
4.10.  India is an original Member of the WTO and has been a strong supporter of the multilateral 
trading system and an active participant in the Doha Development Agenda negotiations, vigorously pushing forward the development objectives, with an aim to establish a more fair and equitable 
international trading system. It is worth noting that despite of its own development challenges, 
India has been providing duty free and quota free  treatment to the LDCs, which we believe is 
highly commendable.  
4.11.  We are pleased to see that the India's economy has been growing robustly in recent years 
and the benefit of such growth process has been  passed to the whole society and all the people. 
This is no easy task given the fact that sinc e the last Review in 2011, the Indian economy has 
weathered quite a number of challenges amid the global economic slowdown. 
4.12.  We commend India for its efforts in taking a range of reform initiatives to enhance the 
overall growth and trade and investment liberalization and facilitation. This is testified by the introduction of self-assessment in Customs procedures, the elimination of state-trading requirements for some agricultural products and pr ice controls on diesel etc. China welcomes the 
measures taken by India to attract FDI, including recent initiatives such as "make in India" and 
raising foreign-ownership caps in such sectors as insurance and railway transport. 
4.13.  In this regard, India's two-way merchandise trade reached US$760 billion in 2013-14, 
taking up 44.1% of the GDP. Trade is playing a significant role in India's economic development, 
with an ultimate objective to reap the benefits of international trade to meet the development needs of the country.   
4.14.  As two largest developing countries, China and India support each other's growth and 
development processes and have been strategic and cooperative partners. China is the largest trading partner of India and India is China's to p trading partner in the South Asia. During the 
review period, bilateral economic and trade cooper ation continued to develop in a rapid and sound 
manner, with rapid increase in two-way trade and investment flows. Last month, during Indian 
Prime Minister's visit to China, business agreements worth US$22 billion were signed between the two sides, mainly focusing on infrastructure, which will further consolidate our bilateral economic 
and trade cooperation. It was agreed that both sides would take necessary measures to remove 
impediments to bilateral trade and investment, facilitate greater market access to each other's economies, and further strengthen the trade and investment exchanges. 
4.15.  With rapid growth of economic cooperation, it is also true that there are concerns from our 
business communities which we need to pay sufficient attention to and handle in a friendly manner. Those include frequent use of anti-dumping measures, complex import regime and strict security reviews on the importing of foreign telecommunication equipment and application in the 
infrastructure projects of harbour, communication and airport. We earnestly hope that India could 
exercise due restrains and enhance transparency and predictability in this regard.  
4.16.  This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the WTO. China is looking 
forward to working hard with India and other WTO Members to complete the Post-Bali Working 
Programme on time and contribute to the conclusion of the Doha Round soonest possible. 
4.17.  We thank the Indian delegation for their reply to China's written questions, which we will go 
through carefully. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  AUSTRALIA 
4.18.  India is an important economic partner for Australia. Our bilateral relationship is solid, 
underpinned by shared values, growing people-to-people links and the complementarity of our economies. Two-way Prime Ministerial visits last year demonstrate the commitment we share to 
strengthening links between our two countries. 
4.19.  India is Australia's 12
th largest two-way trading partner and our seventh largest export 
market. Equating to nearly $15 billion in 2013-14, our trade was dominated by resources and 
energy, which is helping to drive India's economic growth. Services trade was also strong, 
particularly in education, with India now Australia's second largest source country for overseas students. We are confident our bilateral trading relationship still has enormous upside potential given it is currently around one-tenth of two-way trade between Australia and China. 
4.20.  Australia is seeking a high quality, mutually beneficial Comprehensive Economic Cooperation 
Agreement with India by the end of this year. As  we enter a new era of two-way investment and 
business engagement, a high-quality and mutually beneficial CECA will lay the ground for more 
growth, more jobs and greater prosperity in our countries. Australia is also pleased to be working 
constructively with India and other to advance regional economic integration through negotiations toward the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). 
4.21.  Australia is paying close attention to the Indian government's economic reform agenda. We 
welcome the steps that have been taken to modernize India's economy, particularly in the areas of foreign investment, ease of doing business and project approvals. We encourage India to continue down the path of economic and trade policy refo rm, which will pave the wa y for benefits flowing 
from productivity gains, increased competitiveness and further integration. In particular, we 
applaud India's decision last year to implement market pricing reforms for fuel. On trade facilitation, we look forward to the timely submission of India's Category A notification and 
encourage India to ratify the Trade Facilitation Agreement as soon as is possible. 
4.22.  Members will be aware Australia has raised the issue of India's provision of export subsidies 
on sugar in the Committee on Agriculture on a number of occasions. We remain concerned that 
India's sugar rules appear inconsistent with India's obligations under the Agreement on Agriculture 
and are distorting the international sugar market. India has advised it has not yet made any payments under the export subsidy programme. If this is the case, it should be relatively straightforward for India to terminate this programme. We would urge India to revisit this issue. 
4.23.  Australia has also registered concerns regarding India's notifications on domestic support 
and its market price support programmes. We are concerned that the methodology used underestimates India's domestic support expenditure. Also of concern is the timeliness of 
notifications from India on agriculture which is in contrast to the transparent and open information 
the Government of India makes available online and domestically. 
4.24.  India is one of the most influential Members of the WTO. It plays a crucial role as our 
discussions, frequently championing the cause of poorer WTO Members. At the same time, India 
has become a global economic power, and a major influence in global markets for a range of agricultural products. India's policy settings have the capacity to enhance and to undermine opportunities for other developing countries. 
4.25.  Australia welcomes the high quality commitments India foreshadowed at the recent 
High-Level Meeting on the LDC Services Waiver, which testify to India's capacity and commitment to supporting the participation of the poorest countries in global trade. Australia acknowledges 
India's fundamental right to work towards improvin g the position of its poor. At the same time, 
Australia would welcome an ongoing consciousness in India of the impact of its policies on other WTO Members, particularly in agriculture, which is so crucial to the prospects for developing 
least-developed countries. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  MEXICO 
4.26.  While many countries are struggling with low rates of growth, India is moving in the 
opposite direction. According to IMF data, India's growth will range between 7.2% and 7.5% in the 
coming year, making it the fastest expanding G-20 economy in the world. 
4.27.  Again according to the IMF, by 2019 the Indian economy will have doubled in size compared 
to 2009, i.e. in the space of barely ten years, an d the country's GDP will exceed that of Japan and 
Germany combined. Indian output will also be grea ter than the combined output of Russia, Brazil 
and Indonesia. This clearly reflects India’s weig ht, impact and responsibility within the global 
economy. 
4.28.  Services account for more than half of Indi a's GDP, 35% of its exports and over 50% of 
inward foreign direct investment (FDI). Mexico is pleased to note the regulatory changes 
introduced in this sector, such as the scheme for setting up bank subsidiaries, raising the FDI limit 
in insurance to 49%, adopting the National Telecom Policy, and relaxing FDI restrictions in telecommunications, civil aviation, railway transportation, defence and construction.  
4.29.  Since its previous review, India has implemented sound trade facilitation measures, 
including the streamlining of administrative procedures, a reduction in the number of export documents, the introduction of self-assessment in customs procedures, the creation of a trade 
portal and the "e Biz" project to address the need s of investors and businesses. In this connection, 
we urge India to notify its Category A measures  under the Trade Facilitation Agreement without 
delay.  
4.30.  In agriculture, India needs to focus on the lo w level of productivity . The bulk of India's 
subsidies goes to the agricultural sector and consists mostly of price support schemes, which are 
the most trade and production distorting forms of  support. In our view, India should primarily 
address the complexity of its import regime and tariff structure, with an average applied tariff of 
33.5% for agricultural products, more than three times higher than that for non-agricultural 
products (10.2%). The bound rates are also th ree times higher than the applied rates.  
4.31.  Moreover, all most all imports are subject to a variety of additional charges and duties, 
raising the overall average applied tariff from 13% to 28%. This creates uncertainty and could 
constitute a barrier to trade.  
4.32.  In addition to the challenges posed by its agricultural sector, India should address the 
following issues without delay: 
 Much of India's progress has to do with population growth, as more than 12 million people 
enter the labour market every year. By 2030, In dia is expected to have the largest labour 
force in the world. However, India has complex labour laws that need to be streamlined. It 
should also reduce barriers to formal employment and invest in the education system. 
 By the very nature of the country's geography, infrastructure needs are becoming 
increasingly apparent. It is critical for India to increase infrastructure spending in order to 
boost economic activity, and to streamline procedures for the approval of investment 
projects.  
 The business environment should be simplified by reducing administrative and regulatory 
burdens and increasing the predictability of the trade and investment regimes. Particular 
attention should be paid to the complex and lengthy procedures for acquiring land and 
establishing businesses, which hamper en trepreneurship, investment and growth.  
4.33.  According to the WTO Secretariat report, the sh are of manufacturing in GDP has declined to 
13%. By promoting foreign investment and easing restrictions, India could boost industrial and 
manufacturing growth, which is imperative because of the large numbers joining the workforce each year, the limited ability of the services sector  to absorb low skill workers, and saturation in 
the absorption capacity of agriculture. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  4.34.  Lastly, we would like to thank India for replying  to our questions and will conclude with an 
Indian saying, which is that the longest journey starts with a single step. Mexico is convinced that although India may still have a long way to go, it is taking firm and steady steps in the right direction. 
SWITZERLAND 
4.35.  The strengthening of India's economic growth in recent years is a very welcome 
development. We congratulate India on this success in a challenging environment.  
4.36.  A range of measures have been taken by Indi a's new Government aimed at contributing to 
enhanced growth. As examples, we would like to mention the introduction of an e-business portal and the liberalization of some sectors for FDI. We would like to commend such steps and encourage India to pursue on its path towards greater openness of its economy. 
4.37.  Today, India is Switzerland's most important trading partner in South Asia and third largest 
trading partner in Asia. In 2015, our bilateral trade in goods reached 21 billion Swiss francs and bilateral economic relations continue to be expanded.  
4.38.  Switzerland is also the 10th largest foreign direct investor in India. Today, some 200 joint 
ventures and subsidiaries of Swiss companies are op erating in India in fields such as engineering 
and industrial equipment, services (such as tourism, finance, and logistics), precision instruments, 
chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Swiss companies employ a workforce of roughly 100'000 persons 
in India.  
4.39.  We are pleased to observe an increase of Indian direct investments in Switzerland in recent 
years. Today, more than 100 Indian companies are present in Switzerland, among which many 
active in ICT and life sciences sectors.  
4.40.  The potential to further increase our bilateral economic exchanges remains, however, 
important. In this context, Switzerland, together with its EFTA partners, is engaged in free trade 
negotiations with India. 
4.41.  On the occasion of this TPR, Switzerland has raised a range of topics in its written questions. 
Let me highlight the following issues:  
4.42.  Switzerland welcomes recent improvements of India's Intellectual Property System. 
However, considerable degrees of legal uncertainty persist, notably when it comes to protect test data submitted for regulatory approval of phar maceuticals and agricultural chemicals against 
disclosure and reliance by third parties. We would like to recall the obligation to protect test data 
against unfair commercial use pursuant to Article 39.3 TRIPS. Adequate protection of intellectual 
property and effective mechanisms for enforcement are in our view essential to attract and expand knowledge-based and innovative industries in India. 
4.43.  India's subsidies reforms are promising. Switzerland in particular welcomes the reforms in 
fossil fuels subsidies. These changes do not only lead to a more efficient use of public funds but also support important climate change objectives. We encourage India to pursue its subsidies 
reforms in support of sustainable growth. 
4.44.  A considerable source of uncertainty for traders are India's varying tariffs, duties, taxes and 
other charges. Simplifying this complex system  would have positive effects on trade and 
investment.  
4.45.  Finally, let me recall that WTO is faced with critical challenges this year. Will Members be 
able to implement the TF-Agreement? Will they succeed in moving the Doha round towards conclusion? We look to India, in particular as one of the key players in this house, to help making 
the Ministerial Conference in Nairobi a success. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  CANADA 
4.46.  I thank Mr Rajeev Kher, India's Commerce Secretary, and join others in commending India 
for its recent economic performance as reflecte d in positive ratings provided by Moody's and 
Standard & Poor's. This fact was in evidence during Prime Minister Modi's recent visit to Canada, 
during which our business community expressed strong interest in mutual cooperation and 
expanding trade and investment.  
4.47.  Noteworthy changes have included India's recent regulatory reforms to its investment 
policy, again as noted in the Chair's introduction.  
4.48.  I would add, however, that India has also pursued a number of policies that still call into 
question its support for open markets and international trade. These include a relatively complex tariff structure, unpredictable rules favouring domestic supply, and – notwithstanding increased 
efforts to enhance infrastructure – structural bottlenecks that continue to impose limitations for 
importers and exporters alike. The new Foreign Tr ade Policy of India should highlight more that 
imports are crucial for the development and expansion of India's manufacturing sector and thus to 
overall economic development. 
4.49.  Admittedly, India's continued development depends on its capacity to address challenges 
stemming from social and economic inequality. While India's average annual per capita income 
was just under US$1,200 in 2013 – placing it among the poorest of the world's middle-income 
countries – it varied state-by-state: from almost US$3,500 in Delhi to just under US$600 in Uttar Pradesh, a State with a population almost the same as Brazil, and more than five and a half times the population of Canada.  
4.50.  Regarding India's infrastructure deficit, currently valued at almost US$1 trillion, bilateral 
investment treaties can help facilitate opportunities for further participation by foreign business in this area. Of note, Canada and India are currently in the final stage of negotiating process of 
finalizing their Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement. Canada is seeking an 
agreement which will provide greater assurance for investors, enhanced predictability and a favourable environment for further Canadian investment opportunities in India. We are concerned 
that India has lower ambition in this regard and is unwilling to conclude an agreement with 
adequate investment protection standards. Canada takes this opportunity to encourage India to resolve to conclude an ambitious outcome in the negotiations and, in so doing, send the needed positive signal to investors. 
4.51.  A further area for improvement resides in better investment in health care and education for 
India to meet its economic and social development goals. The World Bank notes that less than 10% of India's working-age population has comple ted a secondary education, and the country is 
home to 40% of the world's malnourished children. While India has demonstrated its commitment 
to robust investment in this area, real incentives and the opportunity for further participation by foreign providers will be crucial. 
4.52.  We recognize the importance of India in global agriculture and the continuing central role of 
agriculture in India's economy and society. We, of course, do not take issue with the Government's policy objectives: to promote domestic production, increase agri-investment, improve productivity 
and sustainable agriculture, and enhance value –a dded production. The Government also seeks to 
promote the use of modern technologies such as bulk handling, cold chain storage and efficient 
transportation. But as Secretary Kher noted, while al most half of India's population is engaged in 
agriculture, the sector only contributes 20% of the GDP. Thus, future growth is contingent on 
increasing agricultural productivity and efficiency  to ensure reasonable returns and food security. 
Improved investment in this area is needed and a pragmatic approach to foreign investment in this sector could be a "win-win".  
4.53.  Canada appreciates India's recent efforts to improve its notification record under the WTO 
Committee on Agriculture. In particular, we are grateful for India's submission in September 2014 of a domestic support notification covering the years 2004 to 2010, which has allowed Members to monitor more effectively the evolution of India's agricultural domestic support. In view of India's 
role as a leading global producer, importer, expo rter and subsidizer of agricultural products, WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  Canada would strongly encourage India to make further efforts to bring its notifications fully up to 
date as Australia has already said.  
4.54.  We note that mainly due to increases in agricultural tariffs as Ambassador Conejos said, the 
simple average applied MFN tariff has in fact increased since the last Review. Of particular concern 
to Canada are increases in tariffs for cereals, and preparations thereof, oilseeds and fats. We 
encourage India to reconsider these tariff increases.  
4.55.  Regarding India's bilateral and plurilateral trade policy agenda, India is currently negotiating 
FTAs with many partners. High quality trade and investment agreements can contribute to India's 
economic development, and improve its capacity to resolve a range of ongoing economic issues. 
We encourage India to further engage not only in bilateral and regional initiatives, but equally multilateral trade negotiations to further expand international opportunities for India's exporters, 
importers, and consumers. We look forward to India's positive engagement on concluding our work 
programme on the remaining Doha Round issues.  
4.56.  Finally, returning to the overall business environment, notwithstanding the current 
Government's efforts we have seen limited improvements. Though its ranking and overall score on 
the corruption perception index has markedly improved, it remains an ongoing issue in the market. India's rank on the "Ease of Doing Busi ness Index" remains low and is reflected in the 
relatively slow pace of Canadian firms taking advantage of the opportunities available in the 
country. We hope that measures such as the recent reduction in business registration fees, reforms aimed at protecting minority investors, and, in particular, the recent reduction of the time it takes to obtain construction permits signal further improvements to come. The eventual 
approval of the long-pending Goods and Services Tax Bill would be a positive sign that such 
improvements will happen.   
4.57.  We prepared a series of questions and we are studying India's responses. We wish the 
Indian delegation success with this trade policy review. 
HONG
 KONG,  CHINA 
4.58.  Hong Kong, China (HKC)'s close relationship with India has a long history. It dates back to 
the 1840s, when our city started being home to ma ny Indian families. Over the years, members of 
the Indian community have made significant contributions to Hong Kong's economic and social development, and have helped us establish important institutions like our first university. 
4.59.  Today, India is Hong Kong's 7th largest trading partner. Our bilateral trade has grown at an 
average annual rate of 7% between 2010 and 2014, reaching US$24.5 billion last year.   
4.60.  India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. HKC, as a long-time friend and 
trading partner, looks forward to fostering even  closer and more dynamic trade and economic 
relations between the two economies. 
4.61.  India itself also has an ambitious Foreign Trade Policy. The one in April this year, for 
instance, aimed at making India a significant participant in world trade by 2020. We encourage 
India to keep its trade environment stable and transparent, and its import and export policy 
regime simple and predictable, as we believe these are crucial to achieving its trade policy objectives. 
4.62.  We are pleased to note that since the last review, India has adopted a self-assessment 
system and a risk management system to improve its customs procedures. Currently, around 80% 
of the consignments are cleared without interventi on by Customs. We commend India's efforts and 
initiatives in facilitating trade and encourage India to continue its efforts in this aspect. As 
Members look forward to the Trade Facilitation Agreement coming into force by MC10, we hope 
very soon India can also join us in filing its Ca tegory A notification and ratifying the Agreement.  
4.63.  We note with concern, however, that India is one of the most active users of anti-dumping 
(AD) measures among WTO Members. Being also a ta rget of AD actions, India would probably be 
well aware of the negative impact of the trade remedy measure on the exporting economy. While 
we respect Members' legitimate rights in this re gard, we encourage India to exercise caution and WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  due restraint, and to conduct thorough reviews to ensure that measures are taken only if they are 
fully justified and not used for protectionist purpose. 
4.64.  Since 2011, India's average MFN tariff for non-agricultural products had increased from 
8.9% to 9.5%. Those for agricultural products are substantially higher, at 36.4%. The considerable 
gap between applied and bound rates means that fu rther increase is possible. Moreover, the tariff 
regime remains complex. Importers are required to pay an additional duty and a special additional 
duty. We encourage India to lower its applied tariff rates, enhance tariff predictability, and simplify 
its tariff regime.  
4.65.  Regarding agricultural products, apart from the high tariff protection, there are also price 
support schemes. Indeed, most central government subsidies are for agriculture. India has also initiated a new support scheme through the National Food Security Act 2013 aiming to provide 
food grains procured by the Government at su bsidized prices to around two-thirds of the 
population.  
4.66.  While recognizing that the agricultural sector, which accounts for around 56% of India's 
total workforce, is critical for achieving India's policy objectives of food security and price stability, 
we encourage India to step up its efforts in liberalizing its agricultural sector. We also encourage India, as a key player in agriculture negotiations, to help advance the negotiation process and 
secure a fruitful outcome. 
4.67.  The services sector, as the main driver of economic growth, accounts for more than half of 
India's GDP. To promote further liberalization, th e Indian Government has undertaken regulatory 
changes, such as raising foreign equity limit in insurance to 49% and allowing foreign direct 
investment in certain railway transportation services. We welcome these initiatives, and encourage 
India to further review its restrictive market-access conditions, with a view to removing the limits on foreign ownership. 
4.68.  Finally, I would like to thank India for its response to our written questions. I would also like 
to commend the very capable and dedicated Ambassador, Ms Anjali Prasad for her active participation in the WTO and her readiness to engage in constructive dialogues. We look to India to 
contribute to successful outcomes at MC10 in the Doha Round negotiations.  
COLOMBIA 4.69.  India's economic growth has been accelerati ng over the period under review, posting 
average rates of 7%. This was mainly driven by the services sector, whose share of GDP increased 
from 54.6% to 57% between 2011 and 2014, and especially by exports of computer, 
telecommunications and other businesses services.  
4.70.  Despite favourable economic indicators and India's efforts to improve its competitiveness 
and position itself as a major global exporter, there are still structural problems and a high level of 
government intervention and protection of domestic supply, which create a complex and unpredictable trade environment for economic operators. 
4.71.  The report mentions, among other things, the widespread use of trade measures such as 
subsidies, export taxes, minimum export prices, im port licens ing and tariff adjustments. In this 
respect, our country is concerned at the Indi an Government's new announcement of export 
subsidies for the sugar sector, contrary to the commitments undertaken by our countries at the 
Bali Ministerial Conference.  
4.72.  As regards foreign trade, the Secretariat report states that exports grew by 25% over the 
review period, the main items being petroleum and mineral products, precious stones and metals, 
textiles, and chemicals. Imports, highly concentr ated in petroleum and mineral products as well, 
since they accounted for 42.3% of the total, rose by 22%. 
4.73.  The recent drop in international oil prices has helped meet inflation targets. Nonetheless, it 
should be remembered that price instability may have repercussions in the longer term, given the 
large share of petroleum in India's imports. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  4.74.  Turning to FDI, we highlight the significant results achieved through the liberalization of 
India's investment policies, with average FDI in flows of US$38 billion. Business registration and 
licensing procedures are nonetheless lengthy and complex. We note the introduction of schemes 
such as the "e-Biz" single registration facility an d "Make in India", which aim to remedy the issue.  
4.75.  These schemes, coupled with other initiatives su ch as "Digital India" and "Skills India", 
improvements in agricultural output, training for the expanding work population, and the more 
targeted orientation of state intervention in economic affairs will help India achieve the sustained 
growth targets of 7-8% over the coming years. It is also hoped that manufacturing's share in GDP 
will rise as the number of skilled workers increases.  
4.76.  We note that India has been making significant efforts to streamline customs procedures 
and requirements by introducing self-assessment for trade facilitation purposes and use of the risk 
management system. Given India's significant role during the negotiations that led to the Trade 
Facilitation Agreement, we have no doubt that it will soon be notifying its Category A commitments 
and its instrument of ratification. 
4.77.  We welcome the initiatives that India has been taking to improve intellectual property 
administration and enforcement. We also high light the regulatory improvements regarding 
government procurement, aimed at establishing a more centralized system in line with the 
requirements of the WTO Agreement on Government  Procurement, to which India is an observer. 
4.78.  We recognize India's role in the WTO and hope to continue to benefit from its initiative and 
its inputs in paving the way for the culmination of the Doha Round negotiations. These call for leadership from the world's main economies in building a more robust multilateral trading system 
and in developing a more competitive and balanced global market. 
4.79.  Lastly, we wish the distinguished delegation of India every success in conducting this trade 
policy review and express our thanks for the replies to Colombia's questions. 
ARGENTINA 
4.80.  As an original WTO Member, India is firmly committed to the multilateral trading system. 
We are pleased to note that during the review period it pursued its efforts and structural reforms 
to liberalize and facilitate trade. 
4.81.  India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and its economic growth has 
accelerated in recent years. In 2013-2014, real GDP expanded by 6.9% and is likely to reach around 7.4% in 2014-2015. Economic growth is driven by the services sector, which accounts for 
more than half of India's GDP. 
4.82.  The current account deficit has decreased significantly in recent years to around 1.7% of 
GDP in 2013-2014. This is due to a decreasing merchandise trade deficit and to a growing services 
trade surplus of 3.9% of GDP over that same period.  
4.83.  Since its last review, India has continued to liberalize its investment policies, increasing the 
number of sectors in which FDI is permitted, reducing sectoral restrictions, and raising foreign 
ownership limits in some sectors such as insurance and railway transport. It has also proceeded 
with the streamlining of customs procedures. 
4.84.  As regards India's tariff structure, the simple average MFN tariff in 2014-2015 was 13%, up 
from 12% in 2010-2011. This was due to a rise in  agricultural tariffs. The average tariff on 
agricultural products, at 36.4%, is considerably higher than the average for non-agricultural 
products (9.5%). The bound rates are higher than the applied rates, especially for many agricultural products. In addition, most govern ment subsidies are destined for agriculture. 
4.85.  Although India is a strong supporter of the multilateral trading system, free trade 
agreements are important tools for increasing its export access to other markets. It currently has 15 such agreements in force, including the agreement with MERCOSUR, which entered into effect 
in 2009. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  4.86.  Bilateral relations between Argentina and Indi a are marked by friendly ties and shared 
objectives in many areas. Bilateral trade has increased strongly over the past 15 years and was worth US$2,618 million in 2014. The bilateral trade balance recorded a surplus for Argentina of US$1,222 million, with exports accounting for US$1,920 million and impo rts for US$698 million. 
4.87.  In 2014, Argentina's exports to India included soya bean oil (72.6%), crude petroleum oils 
(10.7%) and copper ores and concentrates (5%). These three products accounted for 88.3% of total Argentine exports in that year. Argentina's imports from India were more diversified. The five 
leading products were motorcycles, flat-rolled products of iron, gearboxes for vehicles, textured 
yarns of polyesters, and acid dyes. 
4.88.  There is undoubtedly scope for a further increase in bilateral trade and the two countries are 
working to achieve this. In November 2014, the Indian Government opened the market for pears, 
apples and quinces from Argentina, and in December  of that year it granted the first licence to 
import apples from Argentina. 
4.89.  India and Argentina share many interests in the multilateral sphere and in the WTO in 
particular. We are therefore confident that we shall continue to work together with India towards 
an open and rules based multilateral system. 
4.90.  We are grateful to India for responding to our questions. 
UNITED
 STATES 
4.91.  India is an increasingly important trading partner for the United States with two-way trade 
recently crossing the US$100 billion threshold and an important expansion of two-way investment. As President Obama highlighted during his visit to India in January, our bilateral relationship with 
India is a "defining partnership of the 21st century". We see our economic relationship, including 
here at the WTO, as a priority in this partnershi p. As evidenced by the rapid expansion of India's 
trade with the United States and many other WTO Members, India's role as a leader within this 
institution is increasingly important, with ever increasing responsibility.   
4.92.  We have seen a positive recognition from the Indian Government that it can do more to 
attract foreign investment, and we are encouraged by a number of reforms being pursued with 
respect to taxes, land acquisition, and labour. There are encouraging signs that positive 
trade-specific reforms may be contemplated, including the drafting of the National Intellectual Property Rights Policy and recent public statements  by Prime Minister Modi calling for a stronger 
IPR regime.   
4.93.  We are also pleased that in March, the Indian Parliament passed a bill increasing the limit on 
foreign investment in the insurance sector. And in April, India published its new 5-year foreign trade policy, announcing new programmes aimed specifically at implementing the WTO Trade 
Facilitation Agreement. In light of India's very di rect role in shaping the TFA, we look forward to 
hearing India's plans to complete timely ratification of the TFA and also to submit its Category A notifications.  
4.94.  The United States invites India to consider how additional steps to open the country's 
trading regime can help India harness the benefits of trade to drive up investment and create jobs. This would include significant, long-term reductions in agricultural tariffs, and removal of unjustifiable SPS and TBT impediments on agricultural imports, both of which can help address 
food price inflation; opening the retail sector and the e-commerce sector to increased foreign 
participation, which can contribute to improving supply chains and greatly reducing food wastage; and avoiding recourse to export restrictions, minimum export prices, and other measures that tend 
to exacerbate the problems associated with global supply. 
4.95.  Indeed, the critical role played by India's ongoing economic reforms and market-opening 
measures in fostering inclusive growth, including in fields such as information and communications 
technology, is well documented. It is therefore disappointing to see recent actions taken by certain 
entities in the government that appear to chart a different course. For example, India has already adopted or is considering adopting policies that require private entities to source a significant amount of their purchases from manufacturers in India, as in the case of retail policies, or that WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  require conformity assessment to take place only in India, as in the case of information and 
communications technology policies. India also maintains trade-distorting export incentives on manufactured goods in sectors where India is export competitive, like textiles and apparel. Maintaining these types of initiatives tends to evoke comparisons to trade-restrictive policies 
pursued in previous, poorly-performing periods of India's economic development, a trajectory we 
believe India wants to move away from. 
4.96.  The agriculture sector in India remains closed  to many foreign products. Where exceedingly 
high tariffs do not make importation prohibitive, they foster an unpredictable trading environment 
inasmuch as India can change the applied tariff rates at a moment's notice. Furthermore, products often face obstacles in the form of SPS and TBT measures that appear to have no scientific or 
other justifiable basis under the WTO Agreements. In dia also provides a broad range of assistance 
to its agricultural sector, including credit subsidies, debt forgiveness, and subsidies for inputs. 
These subsidies lower the cost of production for India's producers, and have the potential to distort the market. In addition, agricultural producer s of 24 products benefit from the Government 
programme to purchase food products from farmers at minimum support prices. These policies 
distort domestic market prices and incentivize th e over-production of rice and wheat. Given the 
increasing concerns with food price inflation, and the growing needs of India's food processing 
industries, India's agricultural trade policy continues to do a disservice to consumers and 
producers in India. 
4.97.  India's economic growth continues to be led by  its dynamic services sector. As one of the 
leading benefactors among WTO Members of access to  services markets around the world, India is 
i n  a  u n i q u e  p o s i t i o n  t o  l e a d  b y  e x a m p l e  b y  a d o p t i n g  p o l i c e s  t h a t  c r e a t e  a n  o p e n  r e g i m e  f o r  
services trade and investment. Yet, key sectors of India's own services market continue to remain 
closed or subject to significant limitations on foreign participation. Such policies will do little to help 
the Government's efforts to respond to significantly declining FDI flows over the past year. 
4.98.  As India's "Make in India" campaign makes clear, a strong and effective IPR regime is a 
critical component of attracting and retaining investment and achieving India's ambitious economic 
goals. Businesses in virtually all Indian industries can realize benefits through receiving strong 
brand and product protection, including throug h trademarks, copyrights, patents, and trade 
secrets. India's current IPR policies, administration, and enforcement, unfortunately, do not yet match this ambition. We welcome the development of a National IPR Policy, and have appreciated 
the opportunity that the drafters afforded to public comments. As the Indian Government reviews 
the recommendations of the IPR Think Tank, we recommend providing a new round of solicitation of public comments before the Policy is made final. 
4.99.  Finally, with regard to transparency, the United States commends recent steps taken by the 
Government of India towards improving the tr ansparency and effective functioning of its 
policymaking institutions. Last year's guidance from the Ministry of Law and Justice prescribing at 
least 30 days for public comment on new legislation is a step in the right direction, and we look 
forward to additional information on how this gu idance is being implemented across Ministries. 
Despite improvements, the United States continues to be concerned about the lack of transparency in many aspects of India's trade policy, including a disappointing performance in 
WTO notifications. This lack of transparency contribu tes to the difficulties of firms trying to invest 
in and trade with India, and is a key reason for India's low ranking in the World Bank's 2015 "Doing Business" report. Implementation of a uniform, all-of government approach to the 
development of regulations would help address these concerns. 
4.100.  The United States appreciates the opportunity to engage in this dialogue, thanks India for 
responding to our questions, and looks forward to  further discussing India's trade policy regime 
with the delegation from India. 
SINGAPORE 4.101.  Singapore and India enjoy strong and longstanding bilateral relations. Our economic ties 
are also substantial. Since 2005, the India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation 
Agreement has paved the way for the strengthenin g of economic ties between our two countries. 
Last year, bilateral trade totalled S$24.6 billion, making India Singapore's 12th largest trading partner. Singapore was India's 2nd largest investor, with a stock FDI of US$6.4 billion, a 7.4% WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  increase over 2013. This business presence is re ciprocated by the existence of numerous Indian 
companies in Singapore spanning diverse clus ters from IT services to manufacturing.  
4.102.  We note with interest that India's services sector, a key contributor to India's GDP, 
achieved an impressive double digit growth of 11% last year compared to 2013. With improved 
connectivity through better multi-modal transport, greater growth in goods and services trade can 
be achieved. In this context, air transport connectivity can serve as a catalyst. It is our hope that greater air and maritime connectivity can be achieved between Singapore and India, through our 
bilateral Strategic Partnership which will be signed  this year. This will support greater bilateral 
trade, investment and people flows. Other services  sectors in India, such as the aviation support 
services and tourism, will also benefit.  
4.103.  According to the Secretariat's report, India's average MFN tariff rate has increased since its 
last TPR, while its complex tariff structure has persisted. We urge India to work towards 
simplifying and bringing down its average MFN tariff rate.  
4.104.  Trade facilitation could also help to boost trade through more efficient and standardised 
customs procedures. We therefore welcome India' s announcement of its intention to implement 
the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), includ ing through the establishment of the National 
Committee on Trade Facilitation and other initiatives aimed at simplifying customs procedures. We 
note that India is in the process of finalizing its categorisation of commitments under the TFA and 
look forward to India's ratification of the TFA as soon as possible.  
4.105.  On the regional front, we welcome the signin g of the ASEAN-India Trade in Services and 
Investment Agreements which are expected to come into force this July. The Regional 
Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is another key regional initiative where we are 
working closely together. We hope that India will play a leading role in pushing for its progress, 
which would help to deepen economic integration in the region. 
4.106.  At the WTO, we look to India to play a constructive role in advancing the multilateral 
trading system. As one of the major developing ec onomies, India's leadership, for example, in the 
timely submission of notifications, is important. India's role would also be critical in the delivery of 
a post-Bali work programme, as well as a successf ul MC10 in Nairobi. Our delegation looks forward 
to continued close cooperation with Ambassador Anjali Prasad and her team.  
REPUBLIC
 OF KOREA 
4.107.  It is notable that India's economy has again experienced continued growth through the 
period under review, with its real GDP expandin g by 6.9% in 2013-14 after a growth of 5.1% in 
2012-13. Specifically, I would like to applaud India's efforts to facilitate investment, foster innovation and enhance skill development with recent initiatives such as "Make in India", "Digital 
India" and "Skills India". 
4.108.  It is our hope, as recommended in the Secretariat report, that India will achieve sustained 
economic growth by pursuing further reforms, e ffectively addressing the challenges of improving 
infrastructure, and simplifying the business and the regulatory environment. 
4.109.  Over the years, India and Korea have develo ped stable and healthy economic relations. 
Bilateral trade volume between the two countries was less than US$1 billion in 1991 but grew to stand at over US$17 billion in 2013. Korea's direct investment to India has increased from just 
US$4 million at that time to US$541 million today. In addition, India's direct investment to Korea 
amounted to US$99 million in 2013. To be clear, these figures demonstrate a very close economic partnership that will continue to grow and develop in the future. 
4.110.  Korea has great expectations that economic cooperation between the two countries will 
continue to expand further, particularly in the areas of infrastructure, shipbuilding, maritime transport, aviation, electric power development and new energy industries as agreed at the 
summit held in May 2015. In particular, we are also committed to updating the India-Korea CEPA 
by June 2016 with a view to achieving both a qualitative and quantitative increase in trade.  WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  4.111.  Let me now turn to some areas of our particular interest and concern with respect to 
India's economic and trade policies and measures. 
4.112.  First, I would like to touch upon the concerns over the complexity of the Indian tariff 
system. We note that the simple average MFN tariff rate rose to 13% in 2014-15, from 12% in 
2010-11. Moreover, effective tariff rates seem to remain high due to the imposition of various 
additional and special duties and charges. 
4.113.  In particular, the special additional duty (S AD) imposed on imported goods is considered 
burdensome for companies operating in India. In this vein, these companies ask for the 
simplification of the procedures for the refund of the duty and then for the elimination of the duty itself as soon as possible. 
4.114.  Second, Korea welcomes the significant changes that were made to India's anti-dumping 
legislation during the period under review in order to be more aligned with the WTO Agreement. 
Taking due note that India continues to be a major user of anti-dumping measures, Korea has concerns that Korea could become among the main targeted countries. Given the additional 
burdens to exporters posed even by the initiation of anti-dumping investigation, it is our sincere 
hope that the Indian Government takes a more prudent approach when initiating such anti-dumping investigations. 
4.115.  Thirdly and lastly, we commend the improvement of the transparency policies in India. We 
share, however, the concern that various technical regulations and standards in India may act as non-tariff barriers. It is our sincere hope that when introducing any new regulations, the Indian Government could provide a reasonable grace period in order for producers to enhance 
predictability and prevent unnecessary losses. One example that we collected from our companies 
in India is that the compulsory registration sch eme introduced by the Bureau of India Standard 
(BIS) in 2012 was unexpected and did not provide a sufficient period for foreign suppliers to meet 
the requirements in the scheme. Therefore, those suppliers were unduly restricted and the 
importation of their products concerned.  
4.116.  We are confident that India, as a key player in the WTO, will continue to play an important 
role in helping not only strengthen the WTO multilateral trading system as a whole, but also 
advance the DDA negotiations.  
KENYA 4.117.  Kenya is pleased to participate in the sixth Trade Policy Review of India. We take this 
opportunity to acknowledge that India is a key partner of Kenya particularly in the area of trade 
and investments. 
4.118.  We commend the Government of India for its continued efforts in liberalizing trade and 
implementing trade facilitation measures during the period under review. We also note that India 
has also taken further steps to implement structural reforms, which have contributed to accelerated economic growth in recent years. We encourage India to sustain the process of 
structural reforms in order to maintain the current positive trend of its economic growth and 
outlook.  
4.119.  The multilateral and recently regional trade agreements have played an important role in 
enhancing India's market access for its exports. According to the Secretariat report, already 
15 agreements are currently in force while others are under negotiations. This demonstrates the 
important role regional trade agreements can play in complimenting WTO multilateral rules in liberalizing and boosting trade and investments.  
4.120.  The Report also reveals that agriculture is an important sector for India in terms of its 
contribution to GDP and employment. The conclusion of the DDA negotiations in agriculture in line 
with the Doha mandate will undoubtedly enhance the contribution of this sector to India's 
economic growth and development. This sector is also critical in achieving the objective of food 
security not only for India but also for many other developing countries like Kenya. In this connection, we look forward to working closely with India and other Members in finding a permanent solution on the issue of public stock holding for food security by MC10 in Nairobi. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  4.121.  Kenya and India enjoy a strong trade relation. Currently, India is the leading source for 
Kenya's imports. A bilateral trade agreement which was signed in 1981 is still in force and has been an ideal framework for trade and economic expansion between our two countries.  
4.122.  The 7th Session of the India-Kenya Joint Trade Committee was held in New Delhi in 
February this year during which the Committee revi ewed the progress of bilateral trade, explored 
new areas of cooperation and discussed ways to further expand trade, industrial and technical cooperation.  
4.123.  Finally we express our appreciation to India for its strong support for the multilateral 
trading system and for collaboration with Kenya particularly on issues of interest to developing countries in context of the current DDA negotiations.   
NEW
 ZEALAND 
4.124.  India is an important global economy and New Zealand expects that India's influence will 
only continue to grow. Its ambitious economic  development agenda has seen India capture 
considerable attention over the last year – the whole world has an interest in India's future.    
4.125.  India has benefitted from trade liberalization and structural reforms undertaken since the 
1990s. In this respect, New Zealand welcomed India's recent announcements of its intentions for further economic reforms. In particular, New Zealand would like to congratulate India on the steps 
that the government has taken to introduce a nati onwide GST. Implementing a GST is a significant 
undertaking, but one which should, with other co-ordinated reforms, facilitate development of a truly unified internal market and improve the business conditions for both domestic industry and foreign investment. In this context, New Zealand would see the lowering and simplifying of India's 
agricultural tariffs as a further necessary step on the road towards comprehensive economic 
reform. We would also encourage India to consider removing tariff rate quotas for milk powders, to help meet surging domestic demand for dairy. 
4.126.  New Zealand welcomes India's recently released Foreign Trade Policy, which sets out a 
strategic vision for India's relations with its trading partners and for lifting India's export capabilities. In the modern trading context, dominated by trade in Global Value Chains, increasing 
openness to imports is an essential component of being able to develop more competitive exports. 
Efficient border procedures, liberal services regimes and openness to foreign investment are also essential for achieving the goals set out in India's new Foreign Trade Policy. The negotiation, by India, of high quality regional and bilateral tr ade agreements would support India's goal – as 
expressed in its Foreign Trade Policy - to increase its share of global trade and "assume a position 
of leadership in international trade discourse". New Zealand looks forward to continuing to work with India to conclude the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership negotiations, which have 
the potential to establish a strategic trade relationship among many Asia-Pacific economies. 
4.127.  India is an important trading partner for New Zealand - our 14th largest trading partner in 
goods. There is also a significant and growing serv ices relationship that has placed India as New 
Zealand's second largest source country of intern ational students, a focus market for New Zealand 
tourism, and a significant information technology  partner. The New Zealand Government's India 
Strategy recognizes the strategic importance of India and the great potential that exists for the relationship. There is substantial scope for our two countries to further strengthen our trade and 
economic relationship. 
4.128.  New Zealand and India launched bilateral FTA negotiations in 2010 and we were pleased 
last year when the Indian Government reaffirmed the priority that it attached to concluding an FTA 
with New Zealand. Reaching a comprehensive and high quality agreement remains a work-in-
progress, but New Zealand remains deeply committed  to that endeavour as it would allow our two 
countries to build a strengthened economic relationship and encourage partnerships and 
collaboration in areas of trade and investment that are important to both sides. 
4.129.  India plays an important role in the WTO as a large emerging economy and we look to 
India to use its influence to help build a consensus among key players on the way in which core Doha agenda issues can be successfully progressed. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  4.130.  New Zealand shares India's concerns about the danger of non-tariff measures becoming 
increasingly prevalent and we look forward to continuing to work constructively with India's authorities, including on SPS and TBT issues. As highlighted in New Zealand's questions, we applaud India's efforts to increase the transpar ency of the scientific basis upon which its SPS 
measures are founded, and we hope that India en gages constructively with members of the SPS 
committee who have raised concerns about import restrictions and conditions on certain products. 
4.131.  India's role as an advocate for an open, rules-based, multilateral trade regime is vital to 
ensuring a global trading system that facilitates trade between Members and addresses prohibitive 
and expensive non-tariff and tariff barriers to trade. We look to India for its ongoing constructive engagement to this end, and for it to continue it s advocacy of the multilateral trading system. We 
will watch with great interest the progress of In dia's programme to improve the transparency and 
openness of its economy. 
OMAN 4.132.  Oman has long historical and friendly relations with India, which is our neighbour in the 
Indian Ocean and an important trading partner of Oman. 
4.133.  We would like to congratulate India on its impressive economic development despite 
numerous challenges. The GDP growth of India in 2013-14 was 6.9%, and the growth rate for 
2014-15 is estimated at around 7.4%. These are high growth rates by any standard. In fact India's 
growth rates are among the highest in the world. It deserves high praise for this achievement. 
4.134.  A remarkable feature of India's economic growth is the performance of its services sector, 
which accounts for 57% of India's GDP in 2013-14. India has a surplus in its services trade, as 
against a deficit in goods trade. 
4.135.  Oman commends India on its remarkable progress in international trade. It is the 19th 
biggest exporter and the 12th biggest importer in  world merchandize trade. Its ranking is even 
better in world services trade. It is the 8th bi ggest exporter of services and the 10th biggest 
importer. India is thus a major player in world trade. 
4.136.  We are pleased to note that India is taking steps to increase predictability in trade and 
investment regimes. This would be done through the simplification of business environment, 
elimination of overregulation, investment in infrastructure and education, and reducing sectoral restrictions on Foreign Direct Investment. All these are commendable initiatives. 
4.137.  I n d i a  i s  a  v e r y  a c t i v e  M e m b e r  o f  t h e  W T O .  I t  i s  a  s t r o n g  s u p p o r t e r  o f  t h e  m u l t i l a t e r a l  
trading system. It is also an active participant in the Doha Round trade negotiations. We hope 
India will continue its active participation to fulfil the worthy objectives of the WTO of liberalization and expansion of world trade. 
4.138.  The Secretariat report reveals that India's import regime remains complex, especially its 
licensing and permits system. Also, its tariff structure is very complex with multiple exemptions which impacts predictability. 
4.139.  The delegation of Oman has some concerns about licensing and customs valuation of 
Oman's exports of marble to India. Paragraph 3. 49 of the Secretariat report and Table 3.9 thereof 
show that India's imports of marble are subject to  import license if the c.i.f. price is less than 
US$60 per square meter. Could India please clarify what is the WTO justification for this 
restriction? Secondly, once an import license is issued, shouldn't the duty be assessed on the 
declared transaction value, even if it is less than US$60, unless it is found to be untrue or inaccurate? What is the WTO justification for not assessing the duty on the transaction value? 
4.140.  We note that some 25% of India's tariff line s remain unbound. Further, the simple average 
of bound rates is the high figure of around 5%. Simple average of applied rates is a relatively low figure of 13%, but the gap between applied and bound rates is rather wide. 
4.141.  We hope India would consider steps to simplify its tariff structure and its import regime, 
which we consider to be important steps towards ensuring predictability. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  JAPAN 
4.142.  Since the change of administration in 2014,  the Government of India has implemented 
various policies in order to increase foreign direct investment to India, including launching the "Make in India" initiative and issuing the "Forei gn Trade Policy 2015–2020" this April. In addition, 
the Government is seeking to make its tax regime transparent and simple, for example, 
announcing that it would not impose the Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) on foreign investors after April 2015. Some of India's municipal governments have also implemented measures to appeal to 
foreign enterprises, such as simplifying administ rative procedures and building infrastructure. 
Japan commends India's improvement of business and investment environments through these efforts, and hopes for further improvement.  
4.143.  However, structural bottlenecks still remain as a barrier to achieving higher growth, 
including delays in project approval, difficulties in land acquisition, a weak transportation network 
and power supply, and strict labour regulations and skill mismatches. Japan hopes that India will 
promote further structural reforms and will achieve sustainable economic growth. 
4.144.  Now let me turn to trade policies. 
4.145.  Regarding the RTAs, the report by the Secretariat mentioned that 15 RTAs are in effect so 
far, including the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between Japan and the 
Republic of India which entered into force just be fore the previous TPR of India in 2011. India also 
continues its negotiations regarding other bilateral and plurilateral agreements, such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) which was negotiated with 15 other Members including Japan. Japan hopes that these RTAs will contribute to maintaining and 
strengthening the multilateral trading system. 
4.146.  With regard to the WTO, since the establishment of this Organization, India has been 
contributing to the development of the multilateral trading system as a major Member with a large 
volume of trade both in goods and in services. It has been also taking a role as a core member of 
various negotiation groups such as the G20 and the G33. India's position in world trade is 
becoming increasingly more important as its population is projected to become the largest in the 
world in the near future. 
4.147.  Considering current discussions toward the establishment of the Post-Bali Work 
Programme as the last chance to conclude the DDA negotiations, Japan has been pro-actively committed to this crucial process. As we have less than two months to go to the deadline, the 
responsibility of major Members is becoming graver than ever. Japan is looking forward to 
cooperating with all WTO Members, including India, to establish the Post-Bali Work Programme. 
4.148.  In addition, Japan reiterates the importance of submission of Category A commitments and 
acceptance of the instrument in a timely manner towards the entry into force of the TF Agreement 
which is one of the vital elements of the Bali Package.  
4.149.  Finally, regarding the ITA, India issued a noti fication to remove the import tariff after 
March 2015 applicable to digital cameras covered by the agreement. Japan welcomes the 
notification and is closely monitoring the enforc ement of the notification by the Government of 
India. 
4.150.  Now, let me touch upon other concrete items. These include trade remedy measures and 
TBT. 
4.151.  First, India is one of the most active users of anti-dumping measures among WTO 
Members, according to the report by the Secretariat. India initiated 82 anti-dumping investigations 
against 23 trading partners in total from 2011 to 2014. It initiated 18 investigations on safeguard 
measures as well during the same period. 
4.152.  Japan believes that trade remedy measures should not be abused as protectionist 
measures. Regarding India's measures, in previous WTO meetings including the SG Committee, 
Japan has raised concerns about frequent use of these measures and consistency with the WTO Agreements. Japan requests India to fully consider strict requirements stipulated by the WTO WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  Agreements, and to ensure the consistency betw een India's trade remedy regimes and measures, 
and the WTO agreements, through its various reforms and other endeavours. 
4.153.  Second, Japan raised a specific trade concern in previous TBT committee meetings on 
technical regulations about pneumatic tires and tubes for automotive vehicles which were 
introduced by the Indian government in May 2011. We requested India to explain about the bank 
guarantee fee per plant being required only for tire manufacturers outside India, and the Indian Standards Institute (ISI) marking fee, as well as to shorten the time needed for certification 
procedures. Japan hopes that India will improve this situation in a swift manner. 
4.154.  In addition, Japan also hopes for further improvement of India's technical regulations 
about electronics and information technology goods,  such as expediting testing and registration 
procedures. 
GUATEMALA 
4.155.  Guatemala and India have enjoyed warm and friendly relations for a very long time. Our 
countries established diplomatic relations in the late 1970s and recently agreed to open permanent 
diplomatic missions in their respective capitals. India's active participation in the Central American 
Integration System (SICA) and the support it pr ovides in that context have been extremely 
important in cementing our bilateral and regional ties. A number of India SICA forums have 
already taken place, and the Central American Economic Investment Bank (BCIE) has received 
Indian support for the financing of projects in ar eas such as agriculture, small- and medium size 
enterprises and renewable energy. 
4.156.  Our trade balance over the review period chie fly consisted of manufactured products, such 
as pharmaceuticals, vehicles, yarn and thread, machines and mechanical appliances. Guatemalan 
entrepreneurs from various sectors went on a trade mission to India earlier this month to explore opportunities for and increase trade between the two markets. 
4.157.  Turning to the current review of India's trade policy, we strongly endorse the measures 
that India has taken to liberalize its investment policies and its efforts to reduce the fiscal deficit over the coming years, as well as the implementation of new trade facilitation measures. We also 
believe that India's major short term challenges wi ll include implementing measures to address the 
structural bottlenecks noted in the report and further strengthening the government procurement system. 
4.158.  Guatemala acknowledges the efforts made by India over the review period and welcomes 
its replies to our questions in relation to this review. 
PHILIPPINES 4.159.  The Philippines fully associates itself with the ASEAN statement delivered by Malaysia. 
4.160.  The positive developments in India's economy bid to transform India as one of the driving 
forces of global economic growth. The impact is expected to be profound as there will be direct political, economic and strategic implications for India and the entire Asian region. 
4.161.  By history and trade, India has been a long-t ime partner of the Philippines shortly after 
both countries gained independence. The relation s between the two countries have been cordial, 
though the full potential is yet to be realiz ed. The Philippines therefore welcomes greater 
integration with India.  
4.162.  Economic relations had been relatively slow and uneven at the start but the impact of the 
ASEAN-India FTA in Goods is already being strongly felt. Further increase is expected with the signing of the ASEAN-India Trade in Services and Protection of Investment Agreements that will 
come into force in July this year. The internal market demand and domestic consumption of India 
have a direct and positive impact to the Phili ppines in terms of job creation, investment and 
balance of trade, particularly in business process outsourcing, textile, and steel. The Philippines 
and India's complementarities, rather than competition, particularly in the IT sector could 
therefore bring forth heightened collaborations.  WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  4.163.  The Philippines also welcomes India's initiatives in facilitating the integration of micro, 
small and medium enterprises in global trade. It is  worth noting that during the recently concluded 
APEC MRT meeting in Boracay, Philippines, one of  the notable outcomes was the Boracay Action 
Agenda for Micro Small and Medium enterprises. In  the said meeting, DG Azevedo also recognized 
the importance and relevance of the said land mark MSME agenda thereby encouraging APEC 
members to brief all WTO Members on this particular work. 
THE SEPARATE  CUSTOMS  TERRITORY  OF TAIWAN,  PENGHU,  KINMEN  AND  MATSU 
4.164.  Two points on India's economy that stand out in particular in the Reports are the 
remarkable dynamism of Indian businesses an d the average annual GDP growth of 6 to 8% 
achieved consistently by India over recent years. We congratulate India on the benefits it has reaped from continued trade liberalization and structural reforms since the 1990s. We are 
convinced that it will continue on this pa th of impressive growth in the future.   
4.165.  The trend in bilateral economic relation s between India and the Separate Customs 
Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu re flects the dynamism of the Indian economy. 
India is currently our 19th largest trading partner in goods, with US$5.9 billion of two-way trade in 
2014. As India opens up its markets, seeks to promote exports, and creates a climate for investment, we fully expect our economic and trade relationship to strengthen and grow. 
4.166.  I will now turn, if I may, to areas of Indi a's economic and trade policies where certain 
measures are of particular interest or concern for us. Firstly, regarding its tariff regime, the Secretariat report describes an extremely complex tariff system with regular modifications of the applied tariff, as well as additional countervailing duties, and customs and excise duties, which is 
quite complex and confusing for importers. We would encourage India to review and simplify its 
tariff structure in order to provide more stable and predictable access to its market for our businesses and producers.  
4.167.  Secondly, we welcome India's continued efforts to streamline its customs procedures and 
implement trade facilitation measures. However, its import regime remains complex, especially the licensing and permit system. We therefore encourage India to continue its efforts to facilitate trade 
in this regard. 
4.168.  Thirdly, we share the concerns of other Members that various TBTs and SPSs of India may 
be acting as non-tariff barriers, thereby unduly restricting importation of the products concerned. We would particularly draw the attention of the Indian Government to these issues. 
4.169.  Fourthly, on contingency measures, we note that India is one of the most active users of 
anti-dumping and safeguard measures. Unjustified actions of this type can have a major negative impact on the exporting economy in question. We would therefore encourage India to take a more 
prudent approach when initiating anti-dumping actions or safeguard investigations, so that such 
measures do not constitute a systemic barrier to trade. 
4.170.  Last, but not least, as we all know, transparency and predictability in a Member's trade 
policy regime are crucial for traders and investors.  In this respect, we welcome the recent steps 
taken by the Government of India towards foreign direct investment. We note, however, that there 
are still several sectors where such investment is either limited or subject to specific caps and conditions. Hopefully, India's consolidated FDI policy will lead to greater stability and predictability 
for foreign investors, which are essential to attracting the foreign investment that could underpin 
critical infrastructure projects and continued growth in other key sectors, such as telecommunications and financial services.  
4.171.  India is, of course, an important economic and trading partner for us and many others in 
this room. As the latest IMF global forecast predic ts, India's GDP growth rate will be above that of 
other BRICs countries in 2016. Within the next 15 years, it will have the largest and one of the 
youngest workforces in the world. I am convinced that if India, like many other countries, 
continues to open up its economy and this economic openness is reflected within the WTO legal system, it will reap the benefits of staying on the path to a brighter future of economic growth and 
macroeconomic stability for years to come. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  4.172.  India is certain to play a major role in the global economy policy decision-making in the 
future. We look forward to working constructively with India, along with other Members, in our shared commitment to the multilateral trading system. 
NORWAY 
4.173.  India is an original Member of and a key play er in the WTO. If we are to succeed in the 
DDA, India's active and constructive role in the negotiations will be necessary and decisive. India is also engaged in regional trade initiatives and we look forward to progress in the negotiations 
with the EFTA-countries. 
4.174.  Norway welcomes the Government of India's New Foreign Trade Policy, which was 
presented on April 1st. It is indeed encouraging to note that the World Trade Organization will continue to be India's preferred instrument for negotiating trade agreements, and we note with 
satisfaction the ambition for India to further open up its economy and become a leading global 
proponent of trade liberalization. However, as othe rs, we note with concern the widespread use of 
anti-dumping measures, and would encourage fossil fuel subsidies reform. 
4.175.  We also appreciate that the Government of In dia recognizes that the greatest obstacles to 
India's growth, development and competitive participation in the global economy are to be found in the country itself. Besides policy and regulatory improvements, there is a great need for large 
investments in physical infrastructure and human resource development. While the private sector 
will continue to play an important role, the fact remains that no country has successfully modernized and industrialized without significant large-scale public investments in infrastructure, primary education and basic health care services - accessible to all members of society, including 
the poor. To these ends, we would encourage India to contemplate how to dramatically increase 
public revenues, including through modernizing its tax regime. We thus look forward to the forthcoming Goods and Services Tax reform. 
4.176.  We note with satisfaction that India has un ilaterally reduced applied tariffs on certain 
commodities and would encourage this to continue, including to remedy the trade distorting effects of preferential trade agreements. In some instan ces, preferential trade agreements can undermine 
India's economic growth and development by de facto excluding suppliers of certain commodities, 
thus reducing competition, leading to higher prices for Indian buyers.   
4.177.  India's relatively strong performance in the se rvices sector is well known. The services 
sector already accounts for more than half of In dia`s GDP and is the main driver of economic 
growth. The regulatory changes which have been introduced in financial services, 
telecommunications and transport are therefore of  great importance. Investment and development 
of manufacturing and agriculture are often in vain without the support of proper and effective 
services.  
4.178.  On relations between Norway and India, let me briefly mention that merchandise trade is 
still relatively meagre and constitute not much more than 1% of total Norwegian trade. There is 
huge potential, however, not least in the trade of seafood and services. Equally important is the 
fact that more than 100 Norwegian companies are established in the Indian market. They 
represent maritime, chemical, information technology companies, as well as oil and gas industries – and we see a trend towards diversification.  
4.179.  Let me also add that the Norwegian Pension F und Global by the end of 2014 had invested 
in India an amount close to about US$8.5 billon. These investments include equity investment in more than 200 Indian companies. A transparent and open investment regime in India will 
contribute to increased activities by the Fund. 
4.180.  Let me finally refer to the questions we submitted prior to to-day's review. We will study 
the responses from India. In particular, we are keen to see India's follow-up on the Trade 
Facilitation Agreement. India was an active and hard negotiator in the TF negotiations, and has 
clearly welcomed the resulting text of the agreement. We have also noted that India has flagged that it would only use the two first categories of implementation for developing countries, namely A and B. However, contrary to many other countries, India has yet to submit its Category A list. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  We would urge that India submits its list as early as possible and joins the drive towards TFA's 
entry into force by January 2016.  
INDONESIA 4.181.  Indonesia would like to associate itself with the statement made by Malaysia on behalf of 
ASEAN. We are pleased to be here today for partic ipating in the Trade Policy Review of one of the 
key players in the WTO. We appreciate India's contribution in the WTO forum, and we believe that India has a strong commitment to ensure a successful Post-Bali Work Programme and conclude all 
the remaining DDA negotiations. 
4.182.  Furthermore, we note positively that India's economic growth has been accelerating in 
recent years. The Government of India has also succeeded in controlling inflation and the current account deficit that could have hampered further growth. We are somewhat concerned with the 
structural bottlenecks that pose as a barrier to achieve greater growth. However, we have 
confidence in the Government's efforts to address these problems through investment in infrastructure and education, simplification of the business environment, as well as increasing 
predictability in trade and investment regimes. We encourage the Government of India to continue 
to do so. 
4.183.  On the bilateral side, India is indeed a very important partner for Indonesia. In the last five 
years, our trade balance has grown at an average of 3.77%, reaching US$16.2 billion in 2014. We 
have seen a slight decline in trade between 2013 and 2014, however, we are certain that trade will bounce back once the ASEAN-India Trade in Services and Investment enters into force on 15 July 2015. Furthermore, Indonesia and India are also currently negotiating RTAs, both 
bilaterally and within the framework of the Re gional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. 
4.184.  As such, we remain confident that our countries' economic partnership will continue to 
grow in the future. 
4.185.  Nevertheless, Indonesia would like to note some of India's trade policies that undermine 
the legitimate interest of our exports to India. These, among others, include India's tariff system 
that is quite unpredictable. This is further exacerbated with India's complex import licensing 
procedures and restrictions. India's use of trade remedies is also quite excessive. All of these 
measures, both in tariff and non-tariff forms, are potentially more restrictive to trade than necessary. 
4.186.  In this regard, Indonesia has submitted a number of specific questions to clarify individual 
points on these and other issues. We thank the delegation of India for answering our questions, 
and we will study those responses with great interest. We will seek further clarification if necessary. 
EUROPEAN
 UNION 
4.187.  India's real economic growth has been accelerating in the recent past and is expected to 
be around 7.4% in 2014-15. According to the In ternational Monetary Fund and the World Bank, 
India might soon become one of the fastest growin g economies in the world. These are really good 
results for which the government can be applauded.  
4.188.  The EU welcomes and looks forward to India's implementation of its stated goal to make its 
policies more business and investor friendly. This is detailed in India's report and I would like to 
mention for example the following objectives: "to make India's foreign trade regime more open 
and transparent", "creating a roadmap for reform", "rationalising subsidies", creating an "investor friendly FDI policy", "creating a predictable and clean tax policy environment."  
4.189.  India still faces significant challenges to achieve these ambitious and laudable goals. Allow 
me to mention a few: infrastructure for transportation and power supply; predictability and transparency of the legal framework and in particular of the rules governing trade and investment, 
taxation and public procurement; developing a business-friendly environment in general including 
by such measures as reducing mandatory conformi ty assessment requirements; proportionality of  
SPS measures; avoiding local content requirements that hinder India's further integration in global WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  value chains; substantially reducing peak tariffs and avoid increases in import duties that actually 
undermine the Government's objectives.  
4.190.  The EU commends India for its efforts developed in the recent years. I will highlight a few 
examples: opening up FDI in sectors such as in surance, medical devices and defence; India's 
intentions to modernize its tax system by introducing the Goods and Services Tax (GST), an effort 
to speed up procedures in the investment sector. In addition, India embarked on reviewing its IPR 
and government procurement policy, which are important initiatives on which the EU has offered 
to share experience. The EU takes account of th e adoption of the recent India's Foreign Trade 
Policy document which sets the goal to double the value of Indian exports within four years. This would certainly require rationalising the existing incentives and subsidies, shaping a coherent approach at bilateral, regional and multilateral level.  
4.191.  The EU trusts that India will engage construc tively in discussions on the post-Bali work 
programme with a view to finalising the DDA, and that India will contribute to the shared objective of ensuring the entry into force of the Trade Facilitation Agreement by MC10. In this regard, we 
are interested to hear about India's plans rega rding the ratification of the Agreement and we 
continue to eagerly await India's notification of its Category A commitments. 
4.192.  The EU is the first destination of India's exports and is the first source of inward stocks of 
foreign direct investments in India. India is the first beneficiary of EU GSP. To give you a sense of 
proportion, last year India was granted by the EU  a preferential tariff on 41% of its exports. 
However, India is far from fulfilling all its potential in terms of trade and investment with the EU. The EU continues to look forward to engage India in order to enhance our bilateral trade and 
investment relationship. 
4.193.  In its advanced written questions, the EU has addressed several areas of concern that I 
already mentioned and which are reported by the Secretariat in its report such as: import 
procedures/import bans that are regularly raised in the Import Licensing Committee; local content 
requirements issues raised in the TRIMs Committee; the disproportion of certain measures compared to the objectives sought; the impact of subsidies on the fairness of competition and 
trade/on the fiscal deficit, the importance of notifications to the WTO and transparency of 
measures; and the insufficient consultation of stakeholders prior to adopting regulations. 
4.194.  The EU trusts that the meeting will be useful  to all of us here and wishes India a very 
fruitful TPR. 
CHILE 
4.195.  The Chilean Government has submitted new questions in the course of this trade policy 
review and has received answers to them. 
4.196.  India and Chile have enjoyed diplomatic relations since 1947 – that is, almost 70 years of 
enriching, continuous and multifaceted work in the political, trade and cultural spheres.  
4.197.  Chile regards India as a very important trading partner. Since India's previous trade policy 
review in 2011, relations between our two countries, which are based on the Partial Scope 
Agreement (PSA) in force since 17 August 2007, have grown closer.  
4.198.  In 2014, our bilateral trade with India increased by 14% compared to 2013. For Chile, this 
represented the largest trade surplus in seven years. Exports grew by 21%.  
4.199.  As mentioned in the Secretariat report, the PSA is a fixed preference agreement limited to 
a small number of products; nonetheless, it has allowed about 90% of Chilean and Indian exports 
to benefit from an average tariff reduct ion of 20% since its entry into force. 
4.200.  Everything points to a deepening of this relati onship in the future. By the end of 2014, the 
two countries had agreed to launch a process to expand the current coverage of products with preferential tariffs under the PSA, a process that also involves extending the agreement in respect 
of rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical barriers to trade. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  4.201.  This process will enable both countries to extend coverage under the agreement from 474 
to more than 2,800 tariff lines. Unlike the original agreement, it would provide for margins of tariff preference ranging between 80% and 100%.  
4.202.  It is therefore of great interest to Chile that  this expanded agreement should be signed as 
soon as possible. This will be one of the fi rst steps, among other developments, towards the 
conclusion of a free trade agreement. 
4.203.  In this sixth review of India's trade policy, in addition to the questions posed, which, as we 
s a i d  e a r l i e r ,  h a v e  a l r e a d y  b e e n  a n s w e r e d ,  I  s h o u l d  l i k e  t o  m a k e  a  f e w  c o m m e n t s  o n  p o i n t s  
stemming from the reports submitted to the Membership: 
 Chile welcomes India's prospects and the steps that the country has taken to revitalize its 
economy, with a focus on accelerating growth, enhancing investment and passing on the 
benefits to the population, as stated in India's report for this review.  
 We view the Government's emphasis on priorities such as developing infrastructure, creating 
a roadmap for reforms, promoting ease of doing business and ramping up investment as 
extremely important, and we welcome the increa singly significant part played by foreign 
trade in India's economic development, which reflects growing integration in the global economy. 
 We also welcome the fact that India has pursued its efforts to liberalize and facilitate trade, 
for example by introducing self-assessment in customs procedures and eliminating state trading requirements for some agricultural products. We also take a positive view of its endeavours to proceed with structural reforms, e.g. by eliminating price controls on diesel 
and relaxing FDI restrictions in several sectors.  
 We draw attention to the services sector as a major driver of economic growth, since it 
accounts for more than half of India's GDP, and the range of measures being taken by the 
Government in this area. 
 We wish India every success with the reforms and challenges that the Government has set 
itself in sectors such as agriculture and food security, manufacturing and infrastructure 
development.  
 We understand that agriculture is a highly sensitive sector and that improving productivity is 
among the Government's main policy objectives. We also recognize that food security is a legitimate target. Nonetheless, we are concerned at the tariff protection and considerable 
support accorded to this sector, which may have a systemic impact. 
 We also note with concern the way in which certain trade policies and other measures 
mentioned in the Secretariat report are designed  and implemented, to the extent that they 
may constitute trade restrictions. These include:  
o India's complex tariff structure and the considerable gap between applied and bound 
tariff rates, mainly in the agricultural sector, which reduces tariff predictability; 
o import prohibitions, licensing and restrictions; and 
o export prohibitions and restrictions. 
4.204.  We all recognize India as a key player in world trade and the global economy. This means 
objectively recognizing not only India's status as one of the world's largest economies but also its 
systemic responsibility on the international scene as a founding Member of the WTO, and in 
particular the role that befits it in the negotiations to conclude the Doha Round. 
4.205.  Chile is aware of and understands the challenges  facing India in terms of its development, 
social policies, food security and other aspects of what is a complex internal reality.  WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  4.206.  In view of the foregoing and looking to the fu ture, we hope that India will be able to 
contribute to the process in which we have been engaged since the launching of the Doha Round. In the context of the Bali agreements, we also hope that it will make a substantive contribution to framing a work plan that allows us to move towards concluding the Round, so that Nairobi takes us 
into a new phase for trade multilateralism by enabling us to address the issues of the future, as is 
incumbent upon us as an organization. 
4.207.  Lastly, I should like to make special reference to some facts which we regard as 
emblematic of our relationship and which, historically, extend beyond our important trade links. 
4.208.  India had a considerable influence on our first Nobel Literature Prize winners, Gabriela 
Mistral and Pablo Neruda, both of whom were poets.  
4.209.  The first translation into Hindi of some of the works of Gabriela Mistral, including 20 poems 
from the Ternura (Tenderness) anthology, illustrated  by a series of drawings by Indian children, 
was published in New Delhi in 2012. 
4.210.  Indian culture, in particular authors such as  Rabindranath Tagore and Aurobindo, greatly 
influenced the writings of Gabriela Mistral, who said that she owed much to India because she had 
discovered music through Tagore's poetry and religion through Aurobindo's works. 
4.211.  Moreover, the book Poemas de Neruda para niños (Neruda poems for children), which 
contains a dozen poems from the Chilean Nobel Prize winner's works Elemental Odes and The 
Book of Questions, translated for the first time into Hindi, Bengali and Marathi, began to be distributed free of charge last year in public schools in New Delhi, West Bengal and Maharashtra. 
4.212.  Having made these various references, it only remains for me to wish India every success 
in the sixth review of its trade policy. 
BRAZIL 4.213.  My delegation gives the highest importance to engaging in the sixth Trade Policy Review of 
India, a nation with which Brazil – despite the geographical distance between us – has forged very 
close ties in the international arena. The relationship between our diverse societies is firmly premised on shared core values such as democracy, rule of law, social inclusion and a strong 
commitment to development in all its dimensions. 
4.214.  India has been one of the most active and committed Members of the WTO. Together, our 
two countries have worked over decades to promote the cause of developing countries and, since 2001, towards a meaningful development-oriented conclusion of the DDA. In facing the challenge 
of bringing needed change to and redressing unjustified imbalances in the multilateral trading 
system, Brazil has had in India a most appreciated and valuable partner.    
4.215.  As in previous TPRs, we are pleased once again to congratulate India for its consistently 
impressive economic performance during the period  under review. If it continues to keep this 
pace, India will confirm forecasts that place it as the third largest GDP in the world by 2030.  
4.216.  The Indian Government has given clear indication, as stated in its report, of its 
commitment to overcoming the country's structural bottlenecks as well as extending economic 
benefits across all social strata. A wide set of  initiatives was already announced for financial 
inclusion, health, the education of girls, youth employment, tax administra tion, investment and job 
creation, increasing agricultural productivity an d farm incomes, and improving the ease of doing 
business, just to mention a few. Brazil greatly commends and identifies itself with India on the 
ultimate underlying objective of these reforms: improve the quality of life for the common citizen. That is also the fundamental purpose of all of our national public policies. 
4.217.  Brazil also welcomes India's initiative to develop a National Policy on Intellectual Property 
Rights. The comprehensiveness of the draft version recently released, as well as the decision to submit it for comments from interested stakeholders, shows the commitment of the Indian 
Government to reaching out to its society on all IP-related areas.  WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  4.218.  Almost ten years ago, Brazil and India decided to upgrade their bilateral relationship to 
form a Strategic Partnership aimed at harnessing the significant convergence of interests and the 
growing international projection of both countries. The bilateral agenda has been dynamic, spanning cooperation initiatives in science and te chnology, defence, culture, education, energy, 
space and environment. 
4.219.  These days, the relationship Brazil-India is intense in the political, trade and economic 
realms. The two countries also cooperate intensely in many international organizations such as this 
WTO, the UN, WIPO, ITU, UNCTAD and international groupings, such as the G20, the BRICS, the 
G4, IBSA and the BASIC. We have actively worked  together for the needed reform of global 
governance. In July 2014, Brazil was honoured to welcome a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the context of the 6th BRICS Summit, which created the BRICS New Development Bank 
and the BRICS Currency Reserve Arrangement. 
4.220.  Growing trade reinforces and reflects this very positive moment in our bilateral relations. 
The figures are quite significant: two-way trade grew from a modest base of US$484 million in 
2000 to US$11.4 billion in 2014, an increase of ov er 2000%. In 2014, India was ranked as the 8th 
destination market for Brazilian exports, which we re largely composed of crude petroleum, sugar 
and soya oil, and totalled US$4.8 billion. India's exports to Brazil, on the other hand, amounted to 
US$6.6 billion comprising mostly fuels, organic chemicals, machinery, synthetic and artificial 
filaments and pharmaceuticals. In 2014, India registered a surplus of US$1.85 billion in its trade in goods with Brazil.  
4.221.  As meaningful as these figures may be, they should be viewed with a grain of salt. Not 
only is our trade obviously modest in light of the size of our economies, but also between 50-60% 
of exchanges is concentrated in petroleum and di esel. It is evident that our two countries share 
the challenge of trade expansion and diversification. We need to incorporate more value-added 
and higher technological content products in our b ilateral trade. Brazil is certain that there is 
ample potential to deepen and intensify investment flows and trade in goods and services with India. 
4.222.  Before concluding, we thank the written replies to our questions and look forward to 
additional responses. They address issues such as certain aspects of agricultural trade, as well as 
trade facilitation and customs procedures. They will be forwarded to Brasilia for examination and follow-up as appropriate. 
RUSSIAN
 FEDERATION 
4.223.  The Russian Federation and India have a long history of friendly relations which have 
always been featured by broad, deep, robust and progressing bilateral cooperation across vast 
economic, trade and investment areas. Throughout  recent years, our bilateral trade turnover 
continues to demonstrate a certain upward trend, resulting in the volume of US$9.5 billion in 2014. We have no doubt that the two countries have a great potential to further enhance bilateral 
trade in goods and services and increase the flow  of investments. Annual Russia-India summits are 
a good illustration of non-stop dialogue to e nhance economic and trade interaction between the 
two countries. 
4.224.  Russia shares a positive overall assessment of the economic policies pursued by the Indian 
authorities. India has managed to secure the continuous growth of its economy during five recent 
years, and we pay tribute to the growth forecast for 2014-2015 at around 7.4%. We are confident that this growth will contribute to the successful implementation of Indian social programmes and 
will stimulate further liberal reforms in diffe rent spheres of its fast-growing economy.  
4.225.  Nevertheless, we would like to highlight some  trade and investment measures of India, 
which, from our point of view, need to be clar ified. Russia has submitted a number of questions 
regarding SPS-related standards, state trading en terprises, customs administration and credit 
policies in agriculture. We thank the Indian delegation for the replies provided.  
4.226.  In addition, we would like to present a follow-up comment with regard to India's 
agriculture support measures listed in paragraph 4.16 (page 101 of the Secretariat's report). It 
says that the central Government supports the State Governments in their efforts to increase WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  agricultural production, enhance productivity by providing technical support, including through 
certain credit schemes which comprise a number of government programmes to improve the flow of credit to agriculture and to lower the cost of borrowing for farmers (via below-market-rate loans or debt write-offs). We would appreciate if the Indian side could specify the conditions of debt 
write-offs for farmers, and percentage of export credits that are usually not returned? 
DOMINICAN
 REPUBLIC 
4.227.  The Dominican Republic has friendly ties with India, both countries being members of the 
G 33. We thank the discussant, Ambassador Esteban Conejos from the Philippines, for his 
interesting comments. 
4.228.  This sixth Trade Policy Review is an opportunity for us to congratulate the Indian 
Government for proceeding, throughout the review period and as mentioned in the Secretariat 
report, with its efforts to liberalize and facilitate trade, advancing with self-assessment in customs 
procedures and eliminating state-trading requiremen ts for some agricultural products. India also 
continued to implement structural reforms, for exam ple by abolishing price controls on diesel and 
relaxing FDI restrictions in some sectors. It also endeavoured to streamline the tax regime, 
liberalize the economy, and expand investment in order to improve infrastructure and increase productivity. 
4.229.  India's economic growth has accelerated in recent years and remains impressive given the 
current global economic crisis, with GDP growth standing at 6.9% in 2013-2014 and estimated to 
reach around 7.4% in 2014-2015. It is mainly driven by the services sector. 
4.230.  India has implemented a variety of measures to attract FDI, which have included gradually 
increasing the number of sectors in which FDI is permitted and reducing sectoral restrictions. It 
has also continued to liberalize its investment policies, in particular by raising foreign ownership limits in some sectors, such as insurance and railway transport.  
4.231.  India has also continued to streamline customs procedures and implement trade facilitation 
measures. To that end, it introduced self-assessment in its customs procedures in 2011, and around 97.6% of India's imports were processed through the risk management system. 
4.232.  Since its last review, India has taken several initiatives to modernize its administration of 
intellectual property rights and has pursued its efforts to enforce them. In 2012, the Copyright Act 
was amended, inter alia , to implement the 1996 WIPO Copyright Treaty, and guidelines were 
issued on patents for biological materials.  
4.233.  In the agricultural sector, we welcome the food security schemes introduced under the 
National Food Security Act 2013 to provide food gr ains procured by the Government at subsidized 
prices to around two thirds of the population, thereby greatly helping low income small producers 
and resource poor segments of the population.  
4.234.  The services sector accounts for more than half of India's GDP and, as we said before, is 
the main driver of economic growth. Positive re gulatory changes have been made (notably in 
financial services, telecommunications and transport), such as the introduction of a scheme for 
setting up wholly-owned bank subsidiaries, raising the foreign equity limit in insurance to 49%, amending the main securities legislation, adopting the National Telecom Policy 2012, and allowing FDI in railway transportation, except in the operation of railways. 
4.235.  All of these positive factors contribute to India's economic and human development.  
4.236.  The Dominican Republic asked India a number of questions concerning, inter alia, trade 
facilitation measures and tariff increases. We are grateful for the replies received, which we shall 
study with care. In closing we can only urge India to continue along the path of progress and wish 
it much success in this sixth trade policy review and in the future. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  COSTA  RICA 
4.237.  Costa Rica is a firm believer in the multilateral trading system, and as such, we see in the 
Trade Policy Review exercise a transparency mech anism to strengthen the role of the WTO, and 
through open dialogues like this, the Members ca n benefit from the recommendations, testimonials 
and best practices of others. 
4.238.  We have seen how India has evolved into a more services oriented economy. We wish to 
congratulate India for its continuous and steady growth in the sector, which represents more than 
50% of the country's GDP and 35% of its exports.  India has succeeded in the expansion of its 
services sector by improving the competitiveness of its skilled labour, setting an example in this area for other developing countries. Costa Rica shares with India a similar perspective on the importance of services, and considers them a key driver of economic growth. And in that sense, 
we believe that further liberalization and improved transparency in services could lead to the 
expansion of its already successful exporting capacity. 
4.239.  Regarding investment, Costa Rica recognizes India's success in attracting FDI flows, 
especially in the telecommunications and services sector (financial, banking, insurance, business, 
outsourcing, R&D, courier and technical). From the Trade Policy Review we have learned that, just like Costa Rica, India's foreign trade policy has also been focused on strengthening trade and 
investment relations, as well as encouraging the establishment of new enterprises that will 
contribute to diversify the supply of goods and services, technology transfer and global value 
chains. However, we take this opportunity to encourage India to continue with its efforts towards transparency and non-discrimination of foreign investors. 
4.240.  For Costa Rica, the Trade Facilitation Agreement holds a pivotal place within the system 
and we accordingly encourage India to deliver the Category A commitments in a timely manner. We also welcome the latest notifications provided by India and look forward to future updates to 
more recent years on issues such as tariff quotas, safeguards and domestic support, which would 
strengthen the transparency and predictability of the notification process. We also take a very 
positive view of the reforms that the Indian Government has been undertaking to tackle the 
structural bottlenecks that attempt to delay development and we encourage India to continue its 
efforts to increase growth through policies that allow for a more predictable tariff system. 
4.241.  Finally, we are aware of the enormous efforts that the reviewed Member must put in in 
order to address all the questions submitted, and we therefore thank India for the answers 
provided and undertake to look in depth into its feedback. 
THAILAND 4.242.  Thailand would also like to associate itself with ASEAN's statement previously delivered by 
Her Excellency Ambassador Mariam MD Salleh of Malaysia.   
4.243.  India and Thailand have a long-standing relation. During the past five years, India has 
been Thailand's number one trading partner in South Asia, with an average trade value of 
US$8.2 billion per year with an annual average gr owth of over 12%. In 2014, our bilateral trade 
value stood at US$8.7 billion, a decline of 0.37% from the previous year. India also ranked as our 11th export destination and 18th import source. In contrast, Thailand is currently ranked as India's 28th export destination, and 24th import source. We do note that our bilateral trade has slowed 
during the past several years, but fundamentall y strong relationship will certainly aid the 
enhancement of these statistica l numbers in the near future. 
4.244.  Despite the decline in trade figures, Thailand and India have actively and continuously 
furthered our trade and investment relations which have enabled the two countries to sustain 
positive bilateral trade and investment climate despite the slow-down of the global economy. Indeed, the Minister of Commerce and Industry of  India, Her Excellency Mrs Nirmala Sitharaman, 
has just paid a visit to our Minister of Commerce as recent as this past Friday, to exchange views 
on trade and investment as well as discuss ways to further strengthen our economic relations, following the Thai Minister of Co mmerce's official visit to India earlier this year in February.  WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  4.245.  In light of our cordial bilateral trade and investment relations, Thailand would like to add 
that it has always been appreciative of the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement and the Early Harvest Scheme under the Thailand-India FTA wh ich has been effective since January 2010 and 
September 2004, respectively. 
4.246.  In terms of investment, India continues to increase its investment in Thailand, investing 
over US$60 million in 2014. While the value of investment is not quantitatively spectacular, it is my sincere belief that the pace will pick up significantly in the near future as the ASEAN-India 
Trade in Services and Investment Agreements are expected to be implemented in July this year, 
coupled with the two parties' continued efforts to enhance the ASEAN-India connectivity, especially through the Trilateral Highway Project that w ill link India, Myanmar, and Thailand.  
4.247.  In the multilateral trading system, Thailand is grateful for India's contributions to the 
system, not only in terms of the substantial efforts that India has put into the negotiation in 
various forums, but also its continued endeavour to liberalize and facilitate trade, such as through the enhancement of customs procedures and the relaxation of foreign direct investment 
restrictions in numerous sectors. Such actions and commitments are indeed valuable to all WTO 
Members, and, with India's considerable influence, Thailand has no doubt that India will play a key 
role in providing the positivity and flexibility needed to move the WTO negotiations forward. In this 
connection, we do look forward to intensive and constructive negotiating work in the WTO to 
achieve a meaningful work programme by July and the successful tenth Ministerial Conference this 
year. 
4.248.  The TPR reports indicated that India's economy, with its vibrant expected growth, is one of 
the few bright spots in the global economy. It is nevertheless my sincere belief that this would not 
be possible without the country's proactive approach towards liberalization and regionalism in its overall trade policy nor its determination to address various obstacles towards higher growth such 
as the enhancement of business environment, tr ansparency, and predictability of trade and 
investment regimes. Thailand certainly supports these constructive efforts as they will without doubt contribute positively to multilateral trading system. 
4.249.  In this review, Thailand has submitted several questions to India covering the policies and 
measures of our interests regarding among other things, India's investment policies, import prohibition, domestic support, and the price su pport scheme. We are thankful for the responses 
provided by India prior to the meet ing, and Thailand will certainly study them in detail with great 
interest. 
4.250.  In conclusion, Thailand would like to express its appreciation to the Indian delegation from 
New Delhi for today's presentation and responses to our questions. We are thankful for the close 
cooperation with India in every level, includin g that between our Geneva-based delegations.  
TURKEY 4.251.  It is certainly not an easy task to command such a big and diverse country and one of the 
biggest democracy on Earth. India has its own strengths and challenges, and those unique 
dynamics make India one of the most important emerging powers of the 21
st century. 
4.252.  Since its last trade policy review, India has recorded high growth rates, which is expected 
to reach 7.4% in 2015 and thus make India the fa stest growing economy in the world. The 7.5%, 
growth figure announced last week for the first tr imester of 2015 is supporting this expectation. 
Moreover, during the review period, incoming FD Is stood at an annual average of US$30 billion, 
while India's exports increased by more than 25%. 
4.253.  Despite this good economic performance, growth is mostly driven domestically, and largely 
by services sectors, with modest contributions from investment and exports, as described by a 
recent World Bank Report.1 
4.254.  With an agricultural sector accounting for 56% of the total workforce and producing 18% 
of the GDP, on the one hand, and rural poverty that stands at 25.7% on the other, the main 
                                               
1 World Bank, India Development Update Report No. 95979-IN, April 2015. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  challenge before the Indian policy makers is certainly to alleviate rural poverty, promote human 
development in rural areas, and diversify economy towards manufacturing industries. I strongly believe that more liberalization in trade and investment promise important opportunities for this purpose. 
4.255.  Likewise, some important domestic reforms are also needed, as stated in the Government 
report, to overcome some very important structural bottlenecks and to benefit from big production and trade potential of India. Especially, education seems to be the most critical reform area in 
order to accomplish the long-term development goal of the country. 
4.256.  On the other hand, medium and short term reforms require a more reliable transport and 
power-supply infrastructure. Cutting red tapes is also necessary for a business friendly environment to boost investments and trade in manufacturing sectors. Actually, India ranks the 
179
th place among 189 countries in the World Bank's Doing Business ranking for starting business. 
This position is mainly due to confusing and time-consuming investment licence procedures, which is not an encouraging environment especially for foreign investment. However, recent steps taken 
by the Government within the framework of the "eBiz" and "made in India" initiatives would 
certainly contribute to the improvement of business environment in India. 
4.257.  During the review period, India has taken important steps to liberalize and facilitate trade 
through self-assessment in customs procedures and elimination of state-trading requirements for 
some agricultural products. India also eased FDI restrictions in many sectors such as pharmaceuticals, finance, telecommunication and transport. 
4.258.  However, India's import regime remains complex, unpredictable and trade-distorting due 
to its non-automatic licence and permit system for many products, which was also pointed out by 
Oman. TRQ and "minimum price" application to the import of marble by India, is a special source of concern for Turkey with respect to the development of bilateral trade. 
4.259.  India's tariff structure also remains complicated and reserves high spreads between 
applied and bound tariffs. The water between appl ied and bound rates together with significant 
changes in tariffs from one year to the other create unpredictability. Moreover, high level of tariffs 
in manufacturing products, standing at an average of 9.5%, goes up to prohibiting levels for some 
products. For instance, the average applied MFN tariff for motor vehicl es stands at 100%. 
4.260.  Another issue affecting the predictability of India's trade regime is domestic supply 
conditions of agriculture products. Food security concerns especially for poor rural population 
require India to use trade policy as a tool to regu late domestic supply through export restrictions. 
The unpredictable trade regime in agriculture is an impediment for long term production and trade planning. A balance needs to be found between supply security and a predictable trade regime. In 
this respect, I strongly believe that finding a pe rmanent solution to Public Stockholdings for Food 
Security Purposes within the Doha Development Ag enda would relieve India from the need to use 
trade policy as an immediate food security instrument and would provide a more predictable trade 
regime in agriculture. 
4.261.  On the bilateral side, Turkey and India, desp ite some ups and downs, have a strengthening 
trade flow which more than doubled during the revi ew period. However, we believe that this flow 
has to be further increased through more cooperation and liberalization to reflect the great 
bilateral potential. Despite Turkey's big trade deficit with India, India still benefits from Turkey's 
GSP scheme designed for developing countries. Under these conditions, we need and we are willing to further enhance our bilateral trade in a balanced and diversified way. 
KINGDOM
 OF SAUDI  ARABIA 
4.262.  The trade policy review reports of the Secret ariat and the Government of India highlight 
the continuous progress of the Indian economy in  the recent years in terms of GDP growth and 
trade expansion. Progress has been sustained even  in the face of the world economic crisis, the 
real GDP growth was 6.9% in 2013-14 and estimated to be around 7.4% in 2014-15.  
4.263.  Nevertheless, despite this impressive economic growth, India has been facing some 
structural challenges of an urgent nature, this in cludes reducing the fiscal deficit; developing the WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  infrastructure; addressing the issues of ill-targeted subsidies, low manufacturing base and low 
agricultural productivity and weak transportation  network and power supply. These challenges are 
being addressed through several domestic reforms along with investment in infrastructure and education, improvement of the business environment,  trade facilitation and logistical facilitation 
reforms and increasing predictability in trade and investment regimes. 
4.264.  Open trade is clearly vital for India as it continues its development and growth. We note in 
particular the Government's objective of doubling In dia's share of global trade over the next five 
years through its new Foreign Trade Policy for 2015-2020. India is to be commended for its other 
recent initiatives such as "make in India", "d igital India" and "skills India"; promoting the 
diversification of India's exports; creating an ar chitecture for India's engagement with key regions 
of the world and encouraging a larger flow of effi ciency-seeking FDI with the aim of making India a 
hub in the supply chain process. 
4.265.  However, as the Secretariat report pointed out, some concerns exist regarding some 
aspect of India's trade regime such as the high level of trade remedy usage particularly 
anti-dumping measures. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia encourages India to these measures to 
ensure fair trade and enhance the competitive opportunities that should benefit all participants in our international trading system. We have expressed some of our concerns regarding these 
matters in few questions to India. We will be happy to receive India's replies to these questions. 
4.266.  The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and India are prominent trading partners, their trade 
relations go back several centuries in time. Today, the bilateral business ties are being steadily expanded and further strengthened by continuous interaction and cooperation. During the current 
year (2014-15), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the 4th largest trading partner for India. The value 
of two-way trade between the two countries in 2013-14 exceeded US$48.62 billion. The import of 
crude oil by India forms a major component of bilateral trade. Saudi Arabia is the second largest 
source for market for India's imports. For Saudi Arabia, India is the 5th largest market for its 
exports.  
4.267.  The bilateral investment between the two countries is growing steadily. Since mid-2000, a 
number of Indian firms have taken advantage of the new Saudi laws and established joint venture 
projects or wholly-owned subsidiaries in the Kingdom in diverse sectors such as management and consultancy services, construction projects, telecommunications, information technology, pharmaceuticals, designing, financial services and software development. Saudi Arabia is one of 
the biggest investors in India.  
4.268.  As an original Member of the WTO, India is an active Member of this Organization and an 
active supporter of the multilateral trading system. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia looks forward to 
continuing to work with India and the rest of th e membership on the implementation of the Bali 
Package and the Post-Bali Programme. 
ECUADOR 
4.269.  It is most interesting for Ecuador to participate in this Trade Policy Review, because India 
is a clear example of a country where obvious progress has been made in trade policy matters. In recent years, Members of this Organization have noted India's trade liberalization and facilitation efforts and its progress with structural reforms, such as the easing of restrictions on foreign direct 
investment, which has opened most sectors for FDI through the automatic route.  
4.270.  Ecuador acknowledges the fiscal targets set by the Indian Government to reduce the fiscal 
deficit to 3% by 2017-2018, and the streamlining of taxes on goods and services. 
4.271.  Ecuador also notes the measures aimed at addressing structural problems by increasing 
investment in infrastructure and education, eliminating overregulation, and increasing predictability in India's trade and investment regimes. 
4.272.  Turning to the trade policy goals outlined in the Secretariat report, my delegation 
acknowledges the new policy for the five year period 2015-2020, which aims to raise India's share of global exports to 3.5% by providing a sust ainable and stable policy environment for foreign 
merchandise and services trade.  WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  4.273.  The Secretariat report mentions certain concerns expressed in regard to India's trade 
policy. Specifically, it refers to considerations such as containing fluctuations in commodity prices, which requires constant fine tuning of policies, thus rendering the trade regime less predictable and creating additional costs. 
4.274.  We hope that these measures will make it possible to achieve this short term goal and 
hence alleviate the concerns expressed about India's trade policy. 
4.275.  Another concern highlighted in the report relates to India's import regime, especially its 
licensing and permit system and its tariff stru cture. We encourage the Indian Government to 
continue streamlining its customs procedures and tariffs, including through trade facilitation measures. 
4.276.  Ecuador also welcomes the initiatives taken by India to modernize the administration of 
intellectual property rights and to enforce these rights, and its adoption of measures to increase 
agricultural output, price stability and food security. Nonetheless, it is hoped that the subsidies granted under these initiatives will be notified to the WTO, in accordance with the relevant 
multilateral provisions. 
4.277.  Last but not least, I would like to refer to the services sector, which today is the main 
d r i v e r  o f  I n d i a n  e c o n o m i c  g r o w t h ,  s i n c e  i t  a c c o u n t s  f o r  m o r e  t h a n  h a l f  o f  t h e  c o u n t r y ' s  G D P .  
Special mention should be made of the changes introduced in financial services, 
telecommunications, transport and insurance. 
4.278.  To conclude, we would like to thank the Indian delegation in anticipation of its replies to 
the questions sent to the Secretariat concerning several aspects of India's trade policy. These will 
provide significant inputs for strengthening our bilateral foreign trade relations. 
TRINIDAD
 AND  TOBAGO 
4.279.  Trinidad and Tobago views India as a formidable force in the global economy and the 
Indian economy is an important trading partner fo r Trinidad and Tobago, which is reflected in the 
plethora of bilateral agreements and memorand a of understanding between our two countries. 
Politically, Trinidad and Tobago has an intimate relationship with India and the Prime Minister of 
Trinidad and Tobago and several Cabinet Ministers ha ve paid official visits to India in order to 
solidify and bolster our countries relations. We see India as a market with potential for further development on a multi-dimensional basis, given that Trinidad and Tobago is among the most lucrative markets for Indian goods in the Caribbe an. In 2013, Trinidad and Tobago exported to 
India TT$ 11.8 million worth of goods, namely chem icals, liquefied natural gas, and iron and steel 
products. On the other hand, we imported light and heavy vehicles, car parts, pharmaceuticals, 
textiles and spices totalling TT$ 1.2 billion in that year. 
4.280.  With the balance of trade so disproportiona tely in India's favour and growing, my 
Government is eager to broaden the level and scope of economic cooperation with India and, in that context, to move beyond bilateral trade to encompass and strengthen our investment links in 
the near future. In November 2011, Trinidad and Tobago and Indian convened the inaugural 
session of a Joint Commission established to promote economic, political and other spheres of cooperation. Please allow my delegation the opport unity of this forum to reiterate to our Indian 
colleagues the strong interest of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to cement the 
understandings reached recently in our Joint Commission Meeting. 
4.281.  India is no stranger to the Caribbean region. The CARICOM-Indian Joint Commission on 
Consultation, Cooperation and Coordination was first established in 2003 in order to create a 
framework for enhancing CARICOM-India relations in various fora. This was quickly realised in 
2005, when Foreign Ministers of India and CARICOM held an official meeting in Suriname to discuss matters of common interest including promotion of trade in goods, services and 
investments, greater participation by India in Caribbean infrastructure development and regional 
investment, the possibility of India's contributi on to the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF) to 
support economic activities with the CARICOM regi on and the prospect of India's membership of 
the Caribbean Development Bank that would engage India as a partner to co-finance development 
and integration projects in the region. Since that  Ministerial meeting many positive inroads have WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  been made between CARICOM and India, which will be assessed shortly at the second 
CARICOM-India Joint Commission meeting this year, 2015. 
4.282.  Like Trinidad and Tobago, India is a very op en economy with a high degree of dependence 
on international trade and thus susceptible to the volatility of the multilateral trading environment. 
Since its last review in 2011, the Indian economy ha s steadily developed to robust levels thanks to 
the consistent performance of the services sector that has contributed more than 52% to the Indian economy's GDP. My delegation notes the smaller and declining role of the agriculture sector 
on the country's GDP, but is very mindful of that  sector's critical responsibility as the largest 
employer in the Indian economy, and any decline in  prospects of the agriculture sector would have 
a deleterious chain-effect on India's most vulnerable population living on the poverty line. Similarly, the declining share of the industry sector in its contribution to GDP is likewise noted with 
the concomitant negative employment and household income effects that can well be 
acknowledged. Nonetheless, my delegation was heartened to observe and compliment India on 
refraining from introducing new trade barriers in order to shelter its domestic manufacturing and 
agriculture sectors and to protect its export trade. 
4.283.  India's projected positive growth for 2014- 15 confirms the competitiveness of the 
economy's services sector and trade in goods, which was brought about thanks to the steady 
liberalization and structural reforms, and as a consequence strengthened, accelerated and pushed 
the Indian economy forward. However, we agree wi th the WTO Secretariat that the complex tariff 
structure needs to be simplified. My delegation also urges for a relaxation of the non-tariff barriers currently in place. We believe India understands all too well the dangers, both short and long 
term, of continued trade restrictions on imports and urge for more predictability in trade policy as 
reflected in the effectiv e applied tariff rate. 
4.284.  Permit me to thank the delegation of India for their responses provided to Trinidad and 
Tobago's questions. 
NEPAL 4.285.  As a founding Member of the WTO, India has been a staunch supporter of multilateral 
trading system, and committed to uphold its fundamental values and principles. Being one of the 
largest and emerging economies in the present wo rld, India has a profound role to play in 
strengthening and further promoting multilateral trading system. The delegation of Nepal wishes 
to extend its appreciation to India for its consistent, constructive and solution-oriented 
engagement at the various forums in the WTO. In this regard, my delegation appreciates the 
constructive role being played by Ambassador Anjali Prasad as head of India's WTO delegation in Geneva. India's role as an active member of the G33 and as an individual member State, in 
pursuing negotiation on agriculture, NAMA and services, among other DDA issues, has been 
perceived by Members with a great deal of interest and curiosity. 
4.286.  The circulated reports reveal that India continued pursuing its efforts in liberalization and 
facilitation of trade for accelerating and sustaining its economic growth. India achieved real GDP 
growth of 6.9% in fiscal year 2013-14 and it is estimated to be around 7.4% in the fiscal year 2014-15. As highlighted in the report, international trade is an important pillar of India's economic 
development with merchandise trade constituting around 44% of the country's GDP in 2013-14. 
During the four-year period under review ( 2010-11 to 2013-14), exports grew at a compound 
annual growth rate of 8%, while imports grew by 6.8%. India's share in global exports registered 
increase from 1.5% in 2010 to 1.7% in 2013. Its share in world imports increased from 2.3% in 
2010 to 2.5% in 2013. India's share in world servic es exports stands at 3.3% in 2013 and it is 
increasing faster than its share in world merchandise export. Due to robust and continuous reforms and increasing integration with both regi onal and global economies, India's total trade 
transaction, including both merchandise and services trade reached almost US$1 trillion in fiscal 
year 2013/14. This achievement, in the face of global contraction, is a clear evidence of India's growing share and influence in the global trade.  
4.287.  India has embarked on an ambitious reform ag enda to meet the challenges of spurring 
growth, creating jobs and improving the quality of life. The introduction of self-assessment in 
customs procedures, elimination of state-trading requirements for some agricultural products, 
eliminating price controls on diesel and relaxing foreign direct investment (FDI) restrictions in WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  some selected sectors, among others, are some noteworthy initiatives put forth by India during 
the review period to give further boost to its ec onomy and trade. India's new five-year trade policy 
covering the year 2015 to 2020 encompasses various reform initiatives with an objective of raising its share of global exports by 2020. To achieve th is end, India is streamlining its policy and rules 
both in merchandise and services trade, linking them with other recent initiatives such as "make in 
India", "digital India" and "skills India" and other trade diversification and competitiveness enhancement programmes. In this connection, the proposed new Goods and Services Tax (GST) is 
supposed to facilitate India's growth and international trade further through streamlining its 
various tax structures and ensuring more stabil ity, predictability and comfort in the business 
community.  
4.288.  India has always been supportive to LDCs trade and development efforts considering LDCs' 
low integration into the world market. In line with the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration, India 
introduced Duty Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) sch eme in August 2008, and has been improving its 
coverage under it over the years. In this connection, effective from 1 April 2014, India's DFTP 
scheme has been providing duty-free market access  to LDCs on about 96% of its tariff lines and 
preferential duties on 2.2% of the lines. At pres ent, 31 out of 48 LDCs are benefiting from this 
preferential scheme. We appreciate this and enco urage India to take initiative to simplify the 
procedural matters including the Rules of Origin provisions of the DFTP Scheme in line with the 
Bali decisions in order to facilitate LDCs' export further. 
4.289.  During a high-level meeting convened in Februa ry this year, India announced an attractive 
package of waiver ranging from waiving visa fee to improving market access, targeting LDCs 
services and services suppliers. In this regard, LDCs are waiting India's notification together with 
other preference-granting members by end July. We  are optimistic that India's notification will 
offer LDCs commercially meaningful preferences and set a good standard to be followed by other 
members. 
4.290.  A close neighbour, friend and longstanding development partner, India has been one of the 
strong supporters of Nepal's development endeavours. It is the largest source of FDI inflows in 
Nepal, which has helped in promoting industrialization and creating employment opportunities. 
Business and trade opportunities between the two countries are expected to grow following the 
recent signing of a power trade agreement which ai ms at effectively harnessing and utilizing the 
rich hydropower potentials available in Nepal. 
4.291.  India is Nepal's largest trading partner accounting for about two third share of its foreign 
trade. The value and volume of both merchandise and services trade has been expanding over the 
years. India is the major export market for Nepa lese products occupying 65% share in the fiscal 
year 2013/14. The share of India in Nepal's total import accounted for 66.7% in the same year. 
Despite preferential trade arrangement, Nepal suffers a huge trade deficit with India due to structural weakness, low productivity and low competitiveness on one hand, as well as some 
procedural matters on the other, which can be improved, through diversification of activities, 
among others.  
4.292.  India is not only Nepal's major trading partner, but also a major transit providing country 
through the territory of which a very significant portion country's significant portion of third 
country trade occurs. The trade and transit relations are regulated by separate agreements and 
understandings concluded between the two countries. In order to further promote trade and investment, Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) and Double 
Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) have been signed between the two nations in the recent 
years. Through these important measures, Nepal is endeavouring to further integrate its economy and trade with India as well as the rest of the world. 
4.293.  Finally, we expect that India will continue and further expand its trade liberalization 
process putting LDCs' concern and interest at th e centre. Let's hope that LDCs will have more 
flexibility in accessing Indian market both in trade in goods and services front with simplified rules of origin, reduced non-tariff measures and with enhanced technical assistance and capacity 
building support in the future.  WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  NIGERIA 
4.294.  Nigeria wishes to congratulate India for its impressive economic performance since its last 
trade policy review in 2011 largely due to unilateral trade and structural reforms. We acknowledge the Indian leadership role in the multilateral trading system, anchored by the indefatigable and 
resourceful Ambassador Anjali Prasad and her dedicated staff, particularly its strong commitments 
and support towards early conclusion of the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiations through constructive and analytical contributions. We also wish to commend India for providing 
trade-related technical assistance and capacity building for African countries. We note with 
encouragement the growth in information technology, which is one of the fastest growing industries in the economy, especially software development and IT enable services, outsourcing and hardware manufacturing. 
4.295.  We note from the Secretariat report that Indi a had accepted the fourth and fifth protocols 
of the GATS as a strong advocate of the multilat eral trading system and being historically a party 
to few regional trade agreements. Despites its reservations, regionalism has been increasingly 
becoming an element of its overall policy object ive of enhanced market access for its exports. 
Given the observations from the Secretariat report , India has been a party to few regional trade 
agreements. Does the Government of India have  any plan to improve both its regional and 
bilateral agreements? If India is to adopt an effi cient approach relating to such scenarios, what 
approach would that be?   
4.296.  As indicated in the Secretariat report, India's economic performance during the period 
under review is still below 10% rate achievement in fiscal year 2010-2011. We also note that 
under the newly-revised series of India's national accounts released in January 2015, in spite of 
the below 10% rate achieved in fiscal year 2010-2011, India's real GDP growth was 6.9% in 2013-2014 and estimated to be around 7.4% in 2014-2015 which shows a more positive trend and 
outlook than the previous series and it is expect ed to continue to grow at healthy rates in the 
years to come.   
4.297.  As observed from the Secretariat report, in terms of customs procedures, India continued 
its efforts to liberalize and facilitate trade, such as through the introduction of self-assessment in 
customs procedures and the elimination of state-trading requirements for some agricultural products. It is also mentioned that the Government  of India also proceeded with other structural 
reforms, including the elimination of price controls on diesel and relaxing foreign direct investment 
(FDI) restrictions in some of its economic sectors although Indian tariff restructure remains 
complex and the simple average MFN tariff rate have increased during the review period. Nigeria would like to encourage India to further reform its complex tariff system in such a way that it will 
enhance the predictability of its trade regime.  
4.298.  As mentioned in the Government report, services sector continued to be the major 
economic driver for Indian economy, both in te rms of GDP and employment. Indian GDP is heavily 
reliant on services in financing, insurance, real estate and business services under the revised 
series of national accounts issued in January 2015  which contributed more than 50% of its GDP, 
35% to exports and it also accounts for more than 50% of FDI into the country. We also recognize that India's export services continued on its su ccessful growth path during the period 2010-2011 
to 2013-2014, respectively.   
4.299.  Nigeria and India have similar socio-cultural background because of the multi-ethnic 
setting of both countries. It is not a coincidence that both countries belong to G20 and G33, 
respectively. Nigeria is proud of the excellent political and economic ties with India. Indian 
companies have sizeable investments in textiles, ICT, chemicals, electrical equipment, pharmaceuticals, plastics, fishing among others in Nigeria. India has assisted Nigeria through 
transfer of technology, machinery and expertise in the form of joint ventures and consultancy 
services. Nigeria also imports more India pharmaceuticals than any other country in the African continent. Trade turnover continues to grow, including in computer components and software services, with large potential for project exports in railways, power generation and electricity 
transmission, telecommunications, defence and machine tools. On outsourcing, where India has 
gradually carved a niche for itself across the globe, some information communication technology firms in India have already started outsourcing some of their jobs to Nigerian companies.  WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  4.300.  The Nigerian top exports to India in recent years were petrol and crude oil which amounted 
to US$14,860,480,370; natural gas US$640,307,594; fruits/nuts, fresh/dried US$25,230,592; leather US$20,523,955 and oil seeds US$17,762,548 among others. While Nigeria's imports from India in the same years include medicaments US$312,250,363; motorcycles/cycles 
US$273,685,133; passenger cars US$203,466,191; rice US$154,313,478; plastic sheets 
US$57,463,256. Nevertheless, there are huge trade and investment opportunities between Nigeria and India which include spices, aluminium, lead, cocoa, and cool equipment among others. 
4.301.  However, Nigeria is concerned by discriminatory regulation and control of drugs meant for 
export as against those for internal use. This prac tice has resulted in drugs labelled ''for export 
only'' not being subjected to the same strict regulations as those for internal use in the country of manufacture. Poor regulations of exports from I n d i a  e x p o s e  c o u n t r i e s  l i k e  o u r s  w i t h  w e a k  
regulation to dumping of fake drugs. Although the counterfeiting of pharmaceutical is a global 
phenomenon, some countries, including Nigeria, are more affected than others. In this regard, we 
would be grateful if appropriate remedial action is  taken by the relevant authorities to address our 
specific concerns for the sake of existing cordial relationship between our beloved countries.    
4.302.  Finally, my delegation believes that increased openness in India would reaffirm its 
leadership role, which is crucial in advancing the objectives of the multilateral trading system, 
while concluding the DDA would also enhance market access security for Indian exporters and 
other exporters. We commend the effort of Indi a for promoting trade and economic growth in 
developing countries and LDCs through a wide range of trade capacity building activities. We wish to congratulate the delegation of India on this historic occasion and also to wish them a successful 
conclusion of their trade policy review. We assure  India of our continued support and collaboration. 
BENIN 4.303.  In recent decades, India has experienced economic growth that ranks it among the 
emerging powers, making it a model for the other developing countries, especially least developed 
countries (LDCs), in their endeavours to build prosperous nations. 
4.304.  During the four years under review, India maintained a sustainable economic environment, 
as evidenced by macroeconomic indicators sh owing GDP growth at 5.1% in 2012-2013 and at 
6.9% in 2013-2014. Forecasts confirm this upward trend for 2014-2015, with GDP expected to rise to 7.4%. 
4.305.  These macroeconomic indicators and the resulting forecasts are the outcome of the bold 
measures taken by the Indian Government to re-energize the economy, encourage and boost 
investment, and enable the country as a whole to enjoy shared prosperity. 
4.306.  In order to achieve these objectives, India has implemented reforms at the structural, 
economic, financial, technological and social levels. These reforms involve the following: 
 establishing an efficient tax administration; 
 financial inclusion of all economic operators;  
 improving ease of doing business by streamlin ing the procedures for starting a business, 
acquiring land and providing core services;  
 creating jobs, especially for young people, an d improving quality of life by implementing 
health and basic sanitation measures; 
 training young people, with a particular focus on girls' education;  
 improving agricultural productivity and increasing farm incomes;  
 enhancing digital connectivity; 
 launching a unified labour portal for online registration of businesses, etc. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  4.307.  In order to facilitate investment, foster innovation and enhance skills development, the 
Indian Government has launched the "Make in India" programme and the "Invest India" initiative, setting up an Investor Facilitation Cell to guide, assist, and handhold investors.  
4.308.  India's FDI policy has also been liberalized and streamlined. 
4.309.  Turning to the agricultural sector, the delegation of Benin notes the measures adopted by 
the Indian Government in support of research, education, irrigation and easier access to inputs, for example. 
4.310.  Our delegation further notes that these measures are chiefly designed to sustain the 
livelihoods of small and marginal farmers, and it  encourages India to pursue these agricultural 
policies to the extent that they are consistent with WTO law. 
4.311.  All these measures have had a positive impact on India's trade flows. During the period 
under review, exports grew at a compound annual growth rate of 8% while imports expanded by 
6.8%, enabling India to register a slight increase in its share in global exports and imports. 
4.312.  In terms of geographical distribution of me rchandise trade, the LDCs are not yet among 
India's major trading partners.  
4.313.  Nonetheless, it is gratifying to see India actively promoting easier access to its market for 
LDCs, having been one of the first developing count ries to offer LDCs duty free, quota free access 
under its Duty Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) Sche me, which came into effect in August 2008 and 
entered into full operation in October 2012, with 85% of India's tariff lines made duty free, 9% of tariff lines enjoying a margin of preference ranging from 10% to 100%, and only 6% of all lines retained in the exclusion list. 
4.314.  Effective from 1 April 2014, this preferential scheme now provides duty free market access 
on about 96 % of India's tariff lines, while 2.2% en joy preferential duties. On ly 1.8% of tariff lines 
have been retained in the exclusion list.  
4.315.  There has also been an initiative to simplify the rules of origin provisions for 31 out of 48 
LDCs.  
4.316.  As regards services, the delegation of Benin welcomes India's announcement in February 
2015 that it would grant preferential treatment to LDCs in areas such as market access, consular 
matters and technical assistance and capacity building.  
4.317.  The delegation of Benin hopes that the measures announced will target areas of 
demonstrated commercial value for LDCs and that they will be formally notified to the WTO as 
soon as possible. 
4.318.  As regards activities in favour of LDCs and more specifically the Sectoral Initiative on 
Cotton, the delegation of Benin welcomes India's active contribution to the search for a solution to 
the cotton issue. Pending such a solution, it greatly appreciates India's technical assistance and 
production and export building activities in support of many African countries under the development component of the cotton issue and in the context of South-South cooperation. 
4.319.  The delegation of Benin congratulates India for the results achieved during the review 
period and encourages it to pursue its endeavours to overcome ongoing challenges at the domestic level in areas such as agriculture and food secu rity, manufacturing, infrastructure development, 
and fiscal discipline.  
4.320.  At the multilateral level, the delegation of Benin urges India, which has always 
demonstrated its commitment to multilateralism and the Doha Development Agenda, to pursue its efforts, along with the rest of the WTO Membership, to bring the Round to a conclusion, in strict 
accordance with Doha development mandate. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  MONTENEGRO 
4.321.  Montenegro has symbolic trade relations with India. However, both our countries have 
recently stepped up their interests to improve bilateral economic cooperation including presentation of the investments opportunities of Montenegro in Mumbai and then in 
Ahmedabad/state of Gujarat. Montenegro is lookin g forward to further supporting cooperation with 
the business communities and the Institute of entrep reneurship of India. In addition, I would like 
to use this opportunity to extend my delegation's appreciation to the Centre for WTO studies in 
New Deli (supported by the Government of India) for its dedicated and excellent work in providing 
expert technical assistance to the Members of the WTO, particularly newly acceded countries, small and vulnerable economies and LDCs. 
4.322.  Let me now comment on the documents under review: Montenegro welcomes the 
Government of India's continued commitment to deliver strong economic growth, address 
economic challenges such as high inflation and to take steps to ensure that structural problems such as India's infrastructure deficit are properly addressed. Although India has been unable to 
achieve growth at the level of 2010-2011, Montenegro  notes the positive direction in which India's 
economic growth has taken during challenging economic times. With necessary reforms, Montenegro is confident that India will continue to enjoy strong economic growth for many years 
and to remain an important trading partner for the European markets.  
4.323.  In agreement with the Secretariat, Montenegro also welcomes the Government of India's 
commitment to the liberalization of its investment policies, including increases in the number of sectors in which FDI is permitted, as well as overall reductions in sectorial restrictions. Montenegro 
notes with interest the Government of India's "Make in India" initiative, as well as its commitment 
to improve the country's ranking on the ease of doing business. We are pleased to see that the 
Government of India is taking clear and positive steps to introduce necessary regulatory changes 
in service sector which accounts for more than half of India's GDP. Finally, we would like to 
emphasize the importance of India's renew commi tment to address the poverty elevation that 
remains a major challenge by the range of measures that would not directly affect its trade and 
related policies. 
4.324.  Montenegro is looking forward to continuing constructive engagement with the delegation 
of India in Geneva on the matters of mutual interest.  
MYANMAR 
4.325.  Since ancient time, Myanmar and India have enjoyed close and relations along with 
historical and cultural links. India is not only a major trading partner of Myanmar but also a neighbouring country sharing over 1300 Kilometres  of borderline. Furthermore, our two countries 
are fellow members of the Bay of Bengal Initiative on Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic 
Cooperation (BIMSTEC).  
4.326.  Myanmar-India bilateral trade volume can be observed in an upward trend, increasing year 
after year. In 2010-2011, the bilateral trade vo lume of Myanmar and India was US$1.067 billion, 
but it increased to US$1.636 billion in 2013-2014. In terms of Foreign Direct Investment inflow to Myanmar, India stood at 11th position, investing about US$400 million by the fifteen companies.  
4.327.  In the regional context, Myanmar welcomes the ASEAN-India Trade in Services and 
Investment Agreement which will enter into forc e on 15 July 2015. Myanmar would also like to 
express its appreciation for India's participation in the ongoing negotiation of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (R-CEP) 
4.328.  We commend India for making concerted efforts and taking necessary measures to 
facilitate and promote trade and investment since its last review. We are also glad to note that India continues to actively participate in regional economic forums and work with partners to 
advance multilateral trade liberalization. We are confident that India's efforts in multi-lateral 
trading system will bring benefits for all.  WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  4.329.  In conclusion, we would like to express our a ppreciation to the Permanent Representative 
of India, Ambassador Anjali Prasad and her competent team for their tireless efforts and constructive engagement with delegations here in Geneva. 
URUGUAY 
4.330.  Uruguay wishes to highlight the efforts that India has made to optimize its structural 
organization and to liberalize and facilitate trade. The positive steps taken to attract foreign direct investment by relaxing restrictions on FDI have enabled India to capture foreign capital that 
contributes to the development of the country as a whole. 
4.331.  The Indian market is particularly attractive for Uruguayan citrus fruit such as mandarins.  
4.332.  Uruguay began taking steps in 2012 with a view to opening the market for citrus fruit and 
sent all the documentation required to start a risk analysis. Since then, Uruguay has repeatedly 
asked for information concerning the status of the process, without, unfortunately, receiving any 
reply. 
4.333.  Uruguay is also interested in exporting pears and apples, and is still awaiting the 
information it requested concerning requirements. 
4.334.  Uruguayan exports (mainly wool and timber) to India more than doubled over the period 
2010-2014. In a move to step up trade related efforts between the two countries, Uruguay is 
seeking to further increase its goods and services trade with India.  
4.335.  There are many Indian business enterprises in Uruguay, the most prominent being Tata 
Consultancy Services, which began operating in 2002 and was the company's first centre in Latin America. It currently runs three development centres – one in Montevideo and two in the 
Zonamerica technology and business park.  
4.336.  Uruguay is interested in continuing to strengthen the two countries' ties in the trade and 
investment promotion spheres. 
HONDURAS 
4.337.  We note with considerable interest from the report that India has continued its efforts to 
liberalize and facilitate trade. 
4.338.  We also note that the services sector is the ma in driver of India's economic growth, since it 
accounts for more than half of GDP. This has le d to regulatory changes and amendments to the 
principal laws relating to financial services, telecommunications and transport, and to the implementation of programmes aimed at achieving the country's public policy goals.  
4.339.  India is a net exporter of services. The serv ices trade surplus as a percentage of GDP 
increased from 2.6% in 2010-2011 to 3.9% in 2013- 2014, mainly owing to growth in exports of 
computer, information, telecommunications and other businesses services.  
4.340.  As indicated in the report, the authorities have stated that agriculture is the largest 
employment sector in India and the mainstay of the majority of the population, occupying some 
56% of the total workforce and accounting for around 17% of GDP.  
4.341.  We highlight the amendments made to India's competition policy, in particular those 
concerning mergers, recovery of monetary penalty and the issuing of guidelines for mergers and acquisitions in telecommunications, which are in line with best international practices. We also emphasize its recognition of the memoranda of understanding and the inclusion of competition 
chapters in the various regional trade agreements signed by India.  
4.342.  Bilateral trade has, on average, steadily increased, and in 2014 our imports of motors, 
power generators, glands, tractors, and rubber amounted to around US$115 million. Our exports 
of products such as coffee, pig iron, blankets, and aluminium were worth US$23 million.  WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  4.343.  A Political Consultation Meeting between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International 
Cooperation of the Republic of Honduras and the Mi nistry of External Affairs of the Republic of 
India was held in April 2015. It confirmed the "pro found friendship" uniting the two countries since 
the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations in 1994, which have consolidated their close 
cooperation in areas such as agricultural development, communication, administration, finances, 
technology, energy, technical assistance and English language learning.  
4.344.  We wish to underscore our Government's intention to open an embassy of Honduras in 
India and highly appreciate the scholarships granted under the Indian Technical Economic 
Cooperation Programme (ITEC), as well as the strategic cooperation relationship developed with the National Autonomous University of Hondur as through the project aimed at upgrading the 
Centre of Excellence for Information Technology Training (CEETI).  
4.345.  Special mention should also be made of the pr ojects funded under the lines of credit made 
available by the Indian Government, particularly the Jamastran River Valley Irrigation Project (Phase 1), which will modernize and increase the efficiency of local agriculture in order to improve 
producers' incomes and contribute to food security. 
4.346.  In the context of the Central American Integration System (SICA), we hope to continue 
examining major issues such as the potential signing an instrument that will lead to closer trade 
relations between the SICA member countries and India, and the possibility of India joining the 
BCIE as an extra regional partner. 
EL
 SALVADOR 
4.347.  We note from the Secretariat report that the Indian economy has expanded, with economic 
growth accelerating in recent years without, however, achieving the 10% rate reached in 2010 
2011. 
4.348.  We also note the Indian Government's efforts to liberalize and facilitate trade, increase 
India's integration in the global economy, introduce structural reforms to overcome situations that 
still prevent the country from achieving greater econ omic growth, and improve the quality of life of 
the population. We believe that India's clear trade policy objectives, set forth in its five-year 
Foreign Trade Policy, will enable it to target and adopt the measures needed to move increasingly 
closer to reaching those objectives. We also emphasize its initiatives aimed at boosting and promoting trade, such as "Make in Indi a", "Digital India" and "Skills India". 
4.349.  Although constraints such as complexity and a certain lack of predictability still remain, we 
highlight India's endeavours to streamline its tariff regime, which we see as a very positive 
development. Nonetheless, it is important for India to pay attention to non-tariff barriers that may still affect some imports.  
4.350.  Another point worthy of mention concerns the steps that India has taken to modernize the 
administration of intellectual property rights  and enforce them, by strengthening the legal 
framework for the protection of IPRs and applying the flexibilities for which it provides, in the form 
of India's first and only compulsory licence for certain cancer medicines. 
4.351.  At the bilateral level, El Salvador established diplomatic relations with India in 
February 1979. We emphasize the cooperation that India provides to El Salvador in a number of areas, including the scholarship programmes for training in information technology, micro 
enterprises, rural development, education planning , quality standards, English language learning 
and other development related issues, such as humanitarian assistance in the event of natural disasters, and initiatives such as the Memorandum of Understanding on Fisheries and Aquaculture.  
4.352.  In terms of bilateral trade, India is El Salvador's fourth largest export destination on the 
Asian continent. On the import side, it is one of our country's leading suppliers of goods, which totalled US$95 million in 2014 and reflect the commercial importance of India in El Salvador's 
production chain.  
4.353.  Our bilateral trade is fairly complementary in that, according to information from the 
Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador, Salvadoran exports to India in the period 2012-2014 chiefly WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  consisted of tropical timber, iron, steel and aluminium products, nuts, and balsam products, while 
imports from India were mainly synthetic dyes, medicines, vehicles and motorcycles, parts of steam generating boilers, and aluminium alloys. 
4.354.  We encourage India to deepen its trade relati ons and increase its level of investment in 
Latin America, as emphasized by the Indian Mini ster of Commerce during a meeting in New Delhi 
with countries of the Latin American and Ca ribbean region in October of last year. 
4.355.  At the multilateral level, the Secretariat report indicates that India is an original Member of 
the WTO and a strong advocate of the multilateral trading system. El Salvador welcomes India's 
endeavours within this Organization to uphold the interests of the developing countries and expresses thanks for the support that India provides for the small, vulnerable economies, a group to which El Salvador belongs. 
4.356.  We underscore India's active participation in the Doha negotiation round and, generally 
speaking, in the G-33, a group in which both our countries take part in order to advance our shared interests in agriculture. 
MAURITIUS 
4.357.  Let me start by welcoming the Indian delegation to this Trade Policy Review. I avail of this 
opportunity to underline the strong, close and historical bilateral relations that exist between 
Mauritius and India. 
4.358.  India has made significant progress since the last review in 2011 and major prospects are 
opening up for it. The Indian Government's efforts and initiatives at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels to facilitate trade and investment and further the country's integration in the 
world economy have been the engines of its economic development. 
4.359.  My delegation wishes to commend India on it s economic performance. To have achieved 
real GDP growth of 6.9% in 2013-14 at this particular juncture in the global economy is 
remarkable. During the period under review, India has continued to play an important role in 
international trade and as a driving force in the global economy. 
4.360.  We wish to laud the vibrant economic diplom acy spearheaded by Prime Minister Modi. We 
are encouraged by the steps India has taken to further amplify its attractiveness as a trade and 
i n v e s t m e n t  d e s t i n a t i o n .  O n  F D I ,  w e  n o t e  t h a t  India has introduced a number of incentives to 
encourage investment, opening up more sectors fo r foreign investment and the "Make in India" 
programme to promote further investment in industry and services.  
4.361.  We also note that several actions have been taken to re-energize the economy with a focus 
on accelerating growth, enhancing investment and passing on the benefits of growth to the common people in India.  
4.362.   We welcome the efforts of the Government of India for its ambitious reform agenda 
aiming at creating jobs and improving the quality of life of its people. In that respect, we wish to 
commend the launched in 2014 of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, a programme for financial 
inclusion which envisages universal access to banking facilities with at least one basic banking 
account for every household and designed to addres s social security schemes so that every Indian 
citizen is provided suitable cover during illness, accidents, or in old age. 
4.363.  On the multilateral front, India is a strong de fender of the multilateral trading system. We 
share India's approach for an inclusive, transparent and balanced outcome in the Doha Round 
Negotiations. We commend India's continued support for the sustainable economic development of developing and least-developed countries including SIDS and NFIDCs like Mauritius.  
4.364.  We are very encouraged by the tangible  and positive results and achievements. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  ZIMBABWE 
4.365.  It is interesting to note that India has taken bold steps to revitalize its economy through a 
set of reforms which have resulted in high GDP growth rates during the review period. India's economy has thus been resilient despite global contraction. 
4.366.  During the period under review, India continued to make efforts to liberalize its trade, and 
foreign trade plays now a significant role in the country's economic development. India two-way merchandise crossed the US$760 billion mark in 2013, and this translated to 44% of GDP. India's 
share of global trade, however, remains relatively low. 
4.367.  We commend India for its valuable role in the multilateral trading system and for its stern 
efforts to address the imbalances in the global trade rules for the benefit of developing countries, especially in the area of food security. 
4.368.  Zimbabwe and India enjoy a long history of mutually beneficial economic bilateral 
relations. Trade between the two countries is under the MFN trade agreement of 1981 and has 
been progressively increasing in favour of India. India has also become a key South-South 
cooperating partner. 
4.369.  Regarding foreign direct investment, Indian investors continue to increase their presence in 
Zimbabwe, mainly in the pharmaceuticals, agro-p rocessing, textiles manufacturing and production 
of steel products. 
4.370.  India has also availed lines of credit for infrastructural development projects and business 
activities, as well as provision of trade and business related capacity building to Zimbabwe officials. 
4.371.  Regarding technology transfer, the Indian Government has provided equipment for SMEs 
incubators, and US$5 million worth of State of th e art equipment for the establishment of SMEs 
technology centres. We greatly appreciate the supp ort that we continue to receive from the Indian 
Government and this has had a positive impact on our economy. 
4.372.  Prospects for greater economic cooperation between Zimbabwe and India are certain. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  5  REPLIES BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF  INDIA AND ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 
5.1.  I would like to begin by thanking all the distinguished Members for having actively 
participated in the sixth Trade Policy Review of India. Let me also express my sincere appreciation to the distinguished Permanent Representative of Philippines, Ambassador Esteban Conejos, for 
being the Discussant for India's TPR. His insightful  analysis of India's trade policy regime coupled 
with his personal understanding of India prov ided an excellent backdrop for constructive 
deliberations at this Trade Policy Review of India. I would also like to convey our gratitude to the 
Chairman, TPRB, Ambassador Paparizov for very smooth conduct of the proceedings. 
5.2.  My delegation and I deeply appreciate written contributions and thoughtful interventions 
made by the Members during this session which gave us an opportunity to understand various perspectives on India's trade policies and practices. We are encouraged by the positive assessment 
of India's policies and potential and the desire expressed by Members for deeper bilateral trade 
and economic engagement with India. We see the critical analysis of our trade policies in a spirit of understanding. It is important to recognize that economic reform process is an ongoing activity. 
5.3.  Although we have made progress on ease of doing business in India, the Government of India 
is committed to pursue greater reforms with an objective to liberalize trade and attract investments. It is also our endeavour to ensure that while our reform process is dynamic and 
forward looking, it essentially remains centred on an inclusive economic growth to address our 
developmental challenges, in particular, poverty alleviation. 
5.4.  I am pleased to report that we have provided written answers to over 700 questions posed to 
us before the deadline, as well as for most of the questions received thereafter (about 
13 questions still remain unanswered and since some of them involve statistical information, we 
will provide them much earlier than the stipulated time for the purpose). I hope Members have had time to review these responses.  
5.5.  My delegation and I have attentively listened to all the interventions made by Members and 
have also taken note of areas of concerns highlighted by them. Mr. Chairman, you would appreciate that since most issues raised by the Members are common, I would like to address 
these issue-wise rather than country-wise. Shou ld there be any specific query by any Member, 
these can be taken up through our Mission in due course. 
5.6.  Like several WTO Members, India too has been undertaking continuous autonomous tariff 
liberalization, which has generated a gap between India's bound and applied tariff rates, especially 
for non-agricultural goods. However, the assertion that there is unpredictability in India's tariff 
structure is misplaced because in the last eight years the structure of our customs tariff has remained virtually unchanged. The "peak applied rate" for non-agricultural products has been 
maintained at 10%. 
5.7.  Another assertion that India's tariff structure is complex because of imposition of a number of 
"Other Duties and Charges" over and above the app lied tariffs is also inaccurate. These duties are 
imposed to equalize internal taxes such as Central and State VAT and other taxes leviable on 
domestic production, consumption or sale of goods which are not only WTO compatible but are also commonly followed in most Member countries. The introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is likely to reduce the number of such levies and further simplify our tax structure.  
5.8.  We have put in place an online "Duty Calculator" which facilitates free access to information 
on the current rates of duty applicable to any goods. 
5.9.  Today, India's agriculture sector is facing several challenges in terms of small land holdings 
and fragmentation of land, inadequate irrigation facilities, low productivity, and high input costs. 
Therefore, in countries such as ours it is imperative that we maintain agricultural domestic policies that provide sustainable livelihood to large part of our population dependant on agriculture. The 
domestic support rendered to agriculture is well within the WTO rules as brought out in our 
notifications. Our support is less than US$200 per active person in agriculture which is miniscule compared to extremely high support, as high as up to 250 times, being provided by many 
developed countries. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  5.10.  We re-affirm our commitment to work towards removing those asymmetries that are 
distorting the present agriculture trade rules an d putting farmers and agriculture producers in 
developing countries at high disadvantage. 
5.11.  A few Members commented on the import licensing regime in India. Mr. Chairman, let me 
underline that India's import licensing regime is open and transparent. Licences are granted on a 
non-discriminatory basis. The relevant regulations are available in the public domain. Import licensing affects only a few restricted items primarily on grounds of the need to protect human, 
animal and plant life, and the environment.  
5.12.  Many Members expressed concern about frequent use of trade remedy measures by India. I 
would like to reiterate that trade remedy investigations are conducted in a transparent manner and in accordance with the provisions of the WT O Anti-dumping Agreement. They are initiated and 
conducted strictly in accordance with relevant rules and regulations to overcome unfair trade 
practices causing injury to the domestic industry. Anti-dumping investigations are initiated by the investigating authority only when the evidence provided by the domestic industry is credible, 
establishing beyond doubt that there is a causal link between the dumped imports and the injury 
caused to the domestic industry. Reasonable an d adequate opportunities are provided to the 
interested parties at every stage of the investigat ion. Further, we invariably use the lesser duty 
rule so that the anti-dumping duty is no more than required to offset the injury. Having said this 
Mr. Chairman, let me underline that during the pe riod of review, the number of initiations of 
antidumping investigation was significantly less than in the previous review period. Some Members sought to know about the changes made in the domestic regulations on antidumping provisions. 
This has been done to clarify certain provisions in accordance with the Anti-Dumping Agreement 
and to lay down transparent procedures. 
5.13.  Some Members referred to the lack of transparency in respect of TBT and SPS measures. I 
would like to reiterate that India adheres to the transparency provisions in the development and 
implementation of SPS and TBT measures and remains committed to following these in conformity with the respective agreements of the WTO. I would like to underline that most of India's 
standards are aligned with international standards. As of December 2014, out of 5862 BIS 
Standards that have corresponding international standards, 5238, that is approximately 90%, are 
harmonized with the international standards, much above the 84% achieved in March 2010. Further, through an annual Standards Conclave, our stakeholders are being regularly sensitized on 
the need to align domestic standards with international standards to the extent possible. To take 
this process forward, suitable amendments in the BIS Act are being contemplated. Similarly, the standards that are now being formulated by the Fo od Safety and Standards Authority of India are 
increasingly harmonized with international standards. This policy is absolutely transparent with 
opportunity to offer comments available to stakeholders.  
5.14.  We appreciate the recognition of recent reform measures taken by the Government to 
steadily liberalize and rationalize our foreign investment regime with a view to enhancing investor 
confidence. Today, FDI up to 100% is permitted under the automatic route in most sectors of the economy. FDI limits have been enhanced/liberal ized recently in key sectors such as defence 
production, medical devices, construction, railway infrastructure and insurance. This is being 
reviewed regularly with the aim of further improving the investment environment in consultation 
with stakeholders.   
5.15.  We are pleased to hear that the "Make in India" programme has generated significant 
interest among Members. This initiative, introduced in 2014, aims to make India a manufacturing 
hub, with the additional objective of generating millions of jobs for the youth of India. As part of this initiative, information on 25 sectors has been provided on a web portal along with details of 
the Foreign Direct Investment policy, National Manufacturing Policy, intellectual property rights. 
Large infrastructure projects with opportunities for investment like various industrial corridor projects have also been showcased. In order to enhance the ease of doing business, an Investor 
Facilitation Cell "Invest India" has also been set up to guide, assist, and handhold investors. We 
are encouraged by the enthusiastic response this initiative has evoked internationally. 
5.16.  Similarly, the E-Biz Project, which was referred to by some Members, is yet another 
important significant initiative of the Government of India in the area of trade facilitation. This is a 
customer-centric portal, which aims to provide services to business community in a seamless 
manner. Through this portal, one would be able to apply and manage all the licenses, clearances, WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  registrations and regulatory filings on a 24X7 basi s. We are endeavouring to constantly improve 
this services portal in order to cut down red tape and improve on the time lines.  
5.17.  Several Members inquired about India's notification of its category A commitments and 
ratification of the WTO's Trade Facilitation Agr eement. We are working on the notification of 
category A commitments under the TFA.  
5.18.  I am happy to hear positive assessment from the LDC members about India's Duty Free 
Tariff Preference Scheme for LDCs as well as preferential measures, including waiver of visa fee, 
announced by India pursuant to the Bali decision for Services Waiver for LDCs. A few Members 
referred to making rules of origin simpler for accessing the DFTP preferences. In March this year, we have also liberalized the rules of origin and simplified other procedural requirements. We do hope that other Members too will take similar action to provide better market access opportunities 
for LDC members.  
5.19.  Lastly, I am happy to note that Members remain actively engaged to develop the post-Bali 
Work Programme by end-July and prepare for the MC 10 in Nairobi. India is a strong votary of an 
equitable, fair and rules based multilateral trading system. We believe that we have a unique 
opportunity, indeed an obligation to restore balance in international trade, by providing a level playing field to the developing countries, particularly in agriculture. The development dimension 
must remain central to the Doha Round and Members should strive to work towards concluding it 
with balanced outcomes for all. India is committed to playing its part in close consultation with other Members as we advance our work in the weeks ahead in the run up to the MC10 in Nairobi.  
5.20.  In conclusion, I would like to thank all WTO Members for their interest and participation in 
the sixth Trade Policy Review of India. It has been  an extremely productive and useful exercise for 
us. Active participation of Members demonstrates abiding interest in India's trade policy and desire t o  f u r t h e r  d e e p e n  t r a d e  a n d  e c o n o m i c  r e l a t i o n s  w i t h  I n d i a .  I  h o p e  w e  h a v e  b e e n  a b l e  t o  
satisfactorily respond to most of your observations and concerns. We will be responding to any 
outstanding questions in writing within the stipulated timeline.   
DISCUSSANT 
5.21.  First of all I would like to start by thanking the Honourable Commerce Secretary and the 
members of the Indian delegation for their patience  in listening to the more than 44 interventions 
that were given from the floor since our meeting last Tuesday and, more importantly, for the specific answers that you have provided to the areas of main concern that were raised during 
these interventions. I also would like to commend them for their hard work in responding to more 
than 700 questions from 30 countries. I know that it's  a difficult task but you must realize India is 
an important player in the multilateral trading sy stem. This is a feeling that you can take home 
with you when you return to New Delhi. 
5.22.  Over the last two days, Members have approached the issues that we have identified from 
different perspectives. For example, while Memb ers welcome the streamlining of India's customs 
procedures and the implementation of trade facilitation measures such as the use of 
self-assessment and the application of risk manageme nt to almost 97.6% of imports, at the same 
time, Members have also expressed continuing concern on the import regime which, Members say, remains complex at this time, especially with reference to licensing and permit system. We, of 
course, take note of what the Honourable Secretary has just mentioned with respect to this issue 
of import regime being complex and tariff regime being likewise complex. I am sure many of us would like the opportunity to study this statement in greater length at a more leisurely pace but 
we take note Mr Secretary of the comments you just made on these two important issues of 
import regime as well as tariff structure. 
5.23.  There were also calls from Members on wh en India would work on their category A 
commitments and we are glad to know that the Secretary has assured as that this work is ongoing 
as we speak.  
5.24.  On tariffs, many of the delegations welcomed the introduction during the next fiscal year of 
the Goods and Services Tax which would remove the multiple layers of taxation. And the Secretary 
also mentioned in his statement that this would really make a major contribution in alleviating WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  concerns raised by Members on the complexity of the tariff structure in India especially with 
respect to agricultural products. So, we welcome this very important development Mr Secretary.  
5.25.  There were also concerns about subsidies, specially aimed at supporting agriculture, food, 
fertilizers and there were specific mentions of ar eas in sugar and confectionary, but the Secretary 
said that on bilateral issues, the mission in Geneva would be prepared to respond to all these 
specific concerns. There were also concerns raised about price controls in some commodities including liquefied petroleum gas, natural ga s, kerosene and agricultural products.  
5.26.  On the FDI front, there was universal acclaim on India's continuing effort to liberalize its 
investment policies including raising foreign ownership limits in some sectors such as pharmaceuticals, insurance and railway transport. And we welcome this Mr Secretary. And along with the improvements in FDI, there is also grea ter impetus for more effective enforcement of IP 
rules and regulations.  
5.27.  There were also concerns about SPS and TBT and some expressions of support in trying to 
align these more with international standards and we heard from the Honourable Secretary 
likewise that this is a programme that they are completely dedicated on pursuing. 
5.28.  On India, as a major user of anti-dumping me asure, there were some interventions from the 
floor asking India to exercise more caution and due restraint in conducting a thorough review to 
insure that measures taken only if they are fully justified and not used for protectionist purpose. 
We heard the Secretary this morning saying that they will only apply these anti-dumping measures when they are justified under existing WTO agreements. 
5.29.  We have seen this dichotomy from the Indian perspective. We heard the Secretary just 
deliver his concluding statement, which as I said, responded very specifically to these concerns 
and we thank him again for that and you would recall also that based on his opening statement on Tuesday and the Government report submitted by India that while enormous progress and strides 
and gains have been achieved in terms of moving forward the Indian economy, India continues to 
face major challenges identified in the report of the Government as: (1) agriculture and food security, where many of the subsidies and the SPS concerns that were raised by Members actually 
are present; (2) they also mentioned about the huge manufacturing challenge they are trying to 
address specially with the new programme that they just rolled out last April 15; and (3) of course, the challenge to address the major infrastructure deficit that they have identified.  
5.30.  T h i s  i s  I n d i a .  T h e y  h a v e  a n  e n o r m o u s  g o a l  y e t  a t  t h e  s a m e  t i m e  t h e y  a r e  r e a l i s t i c  t o  
recognize that they also face huge challenges  and roadblocks along the way. So, different 
perspectives, both from Members and, of course. from the Indian perspective, but I think different perspectives are understandable and, at this point, the best I can do is to quote from the 
Honourable Secretary's statement on Tuesday when he said that "I would like to say that through 
focus efforts aimed at overcoming the challenges of poverty, unemployment and income equality, we are confident that India will play an increasingly an important role in global trade. A lot has 
been achieved but we are conscious that more needs to be done. India is a work in progress. An 
idea whose time has come."  
5.31.  And, I like very much what I have heard from the Secretary just a while ago when he said 
that "the reform process of India is going to be  a positive and a forward looking endeavour". The 
aim of the process will always be to achieve inclus ive growth in terms of reduction of poverty. All 
of these policies have to be looked at from that perspective to give us an idea where India will be going in the next four to five years.  
5.32.  I mentioned those concerns which I felt there were some varying perspectives, but 
Mr Secretary I must say that, based on the discussions we had in the last two days, there are two areas where I think there was universal acclaim and there were no ifs and buts here. First, was the 
amount of assistance that India has provided to  the LDCs and, here, we are referring to the 
duty-free, quota-free privileges that India has exte nded to LDCs that covers almost 96% of tariff 
lines. We appreciate that gesture in behalf of our LDC colleagues. And the second one, of course, 
was the preferential treatment that India has provid ed to LDCs in services and especially in the 
provision of technical assistance and capacity building. This was universally acclaimed and we 
thank India for this very important initiative. The second area where I think there are no ifs and WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  buts, which is quiet obvious to all of us. It's so obvious that there's easily no point in 
demonstrating the fact that India is a powerful force for good in the WTO. Many developing countries look up to India for leadership and for inspiration and it is our hope that India will continue to discharge this huge responsibility with firmness, with brilliance, with fidelity, and in the 
spirit of constructive engagement for the benefit of all.  
5.33.  My overall conclusion is that we have had a rich and fruitful discussion which augurs very 
well for the future of India and the WTO. I can almo st foresee that the 7th TPR will be focusing on 
how this new initiative of the Foreign Trade Policy which was rolled out last April will eventually be 
implemented in the course of the years. We have our sights set on that, we are all excited about 
on how this will work out and we look forwar d to a very successful implementation of this 
ambitious but very realistic work programme for your country.  
5.34.  I think I will stop here, but before I will relinquish this role, I would like to conclude the way 
I concluded my first day statement on Tuesday and it is to thank Ambassador Anjali for making me a part of India's sixth Trade Policy Review. 
EUROPEAN
 UNION 
5.35.  The EU would like to thank India for having provided many comprehensive replies to our 
advance questions. 
5.36.  However, the EU somehow regrets India did not adopt the so called alternative timeframe 
for this review, which allows Members to receive the reviewed Member's replies in advance of the 
meeting and we do hope that next time this will be the case. 
5.37.  Regarding some of the replies provided, the EU still considers that there is room for further 
improvement in terms of facilitati on of doing business and reviewin g existing regulations that may 
be too burdensome on operators, without achiev ing their basic legitimate purpose sometimes and 
may not contribute to enabling India to achieve its ambitious and legitimate goals. 
5.38.  EU has raised a few follow-up questions that we have submitted to the WTO Secretariat in 
advance of the meeting. Please allow me to highlight some of the issues. 
5.39.  Regarding FDI, the EU is interested to know whether India to renegotiate its past BITs using 
the model or whether the model will only be used for new investment agreements. 
5.40.  Regarding SPS issues, we urge India to strive for embracing international standards, such as 
accepting animal disease regionalization principle and practice and alternatives to methyl-bromide fumigation for plant products and approaches, and use less trade restrictive measures to achieve 
its legitimate policy objectives of protecting animal and plant health and food safety. 
5.41.  Regarding TBT issues, let me take an example of India's reply to the EU question 38 on food 
labelling and the use of additional stickers. We do not agree with the reply by India as we consider 
that Codex provides that the labelling requirement can be met through sticker(s). In fact, this is 
the wide-spread practice among WTO Members, confirming the fact that they can be means to provide reliable information to consumers. 
5.42.  Regarding TBT notifications, we are of the view  that the situation could be further improved 
and we have asked a few follow-up questions on the policy in place, for example on certification. 
5.43.  Regarding financial services, we are interested in pursuing the discussion with India as to 
what are exactly the criteria that allow India to assess reciprocity and the share of political 
considerations that are mentioned as a criterion in India's reply. 
5.44.  While the EU did not submit specific follow-up question on subsidies on textiles, we are 
encouraged by the press interview Minister Sitharaman gave (to Mint, and Indian paper) 
acknowledging that India will comply with WTO obligations and will phase out subsidies for textiles 
as India passes the prescribed threshold. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  5.45.  In conclusion, the EU would like to reiterate ag ain the importance of increased transparency 
of trade and investment related regulatory processes in India. We recognize the many positive developments in this area, and encourage India to strive for more, as it would foremost benefit its own companies, the Indian exporters and Indian  manufacturers who are becoming part of the 
global value chains and rely on  inputs from foreign partners. 
5.46.  Finally, please let me convey the appreciation of the EU to Secretary Rajeev Kher. Mr Kher's 
professional knowledge and high personal standi ng is well known in the EU and is highly 
appreciated. 
UNITED
 STATES 
5.47.  I would like to thank the Indian delegation for their efforts in this TPR, we know that it 
required a great deal of efforts to prepare and provide all the responses to the numerous questions 
that India received. 
5.48.  We submitted some additional questions and we look forward to the written replies to those. 
We would like to congratulate India for its successful TPR. WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  6  CONCLUDING REMARKS BY THE CHAIRPERSON 
6.1.  The sixth Trade Policy Review of India has offered us an excellent opportunity to learn about 
the development of the trade, economic, and invest ment policies of India since its previous Review 
in 2011, and the challenges it faces. Our discussion was greatly facilitated by the statement from 
the head of the delegation of India, Mr Rajeev  Kher, Commerce Secretary, and by the insightful 
comments from the Discussant, the Ambassador of the Philippines to the WTO, Mr Esteban Conejos. India's prompt response to more than 700 advanced written questions has been greatly 
appreciated by Members, and we look forward to  answers to any outstanding questions no later 
than one month after this meeting. 
6.2.  Members commended India's accelerating economic growth during the review period, 
particularly in the services sector, and the milder inflation in recent years. Members recognized 
India's need and willingness to overcome its structural bottlenecks, including fiscal deficit, 
shortfalls in infrastructure such as education, health care, transportation, power supply, delays in project approval, difficulties in land acquisition, low manufacturing base and agricultural 
productivity, and cumbersome labour market regula tions. In this respect, Members urged India in 
particular to pursue further tax reforms, which may increase government revenues, as well as to 
increase investment in infrastructure. They welcomed its steps to introduce a nationwide Goods 
and Services Tax. Members commended India's measures to improve business and investment 
environment, including "make in India" initiatives, and the establishment of an e-business portal. While appreciating India's efforts at raising foreign equity limits in some sectors such as insurance and railway transport, and speeding up inve stment procedures, they asked for further 
improvement in these areas. 
6.3.  Members recognized that India is playing a more important role in the global economy as one 
of the largest developing countries. Members commended India's active participation in the 
multilateral trading system and the key role it assumes in the DDA negotiations. Members 
appreciated India's trade facilitation measures, such as the adoption of self-assessment in customs procedures, and encouraged India to submit its Category A notification under the Agreement on 
Trade Facilitation and to expedite the ratification process. Some Members looked forward to India's 
implementation of the Information Technology  Agreement. Members noted India's increased 
involvement in regional trade agreements, and hoped that these agreements will contribute to maintaining and strengthening the multilateral trading system. While some Members commended 
India's recent initiatives to improve the transparency and predictability of its trade and related 
policies, such as inviting public comments on new legislation, Members urged India to provide timely public consultations on draft regulations, su bmit notifications on a regular basis to the WTO, 
and provide a reasonable period between the anno uncement of new regulations and their entering 
into force. Members appreciated that India has be en providing duty free and quota free access for 
LDC exports; in this regard, some Members encouraged India to simplify rules of origin 
requirements.  
6.4.  Members welcomed India's various economic and trade policy reforms. However, they voiced 
concerns with respect to tariff increases, the complexity and uncertainty in tariffs and other charges including an additional duty and a sp ecial additional duty, and the large difference 
between applied and bound rates. Some Members raised concerns about customs valuation and 
import licensing requirements on particular prod ucts. Recent changes to anti-dumping regulations 
were noted. However, concerns were raised on th e frequent use of contingency measures as well 
as the complexity of import licensing measures. Some Members asked questions regarding India's 
technical regulations and SPS measures, including how they are related to international standards. Questions were also raised about the technical regulations and certification procedures concerning 
certain specific products. Some Members urged India to avoid recourse to export restrictions and 
minimum export prices.  
6.5.  Members welcomed the removal of some subsidies and price controls on fossil fuels (such as 
diesel). Concerns were expressed by some Members regarding subsidies, in particular those 
pertaining to agriculture and food (for example, on  sugar), and fertilizers. Other issues raised by 
Members include local content requirements and India's intellectual property regime, in particular regarding the protection of trade secrets and test data.  
6.6.  Members commended India for not introducing new trade barriers in order to protect 
agriculture and manufacturing sectors, and also for eliminating state trading requirements for WT/TPR/M/313 • India 
 
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  some agricultural products. Nonetheless, concerns were raised on its high agricultural tariffs and 
some uncertainties concerning domestic supply conditions for agricultural products. Members called for a balance between food security and a pr edictable trade regime, and urged India to step 
up its efforts to liberalize its agriculture sector notably by lowering and simplifying its tariffs.  
6.7.  Members recognized services as the main pillar of India's economy. This sector has 
contributed substantially to the recent economic growth. Members urged further liberalization of services, including distribution and e-commerce.  
6.8.  The Indian authorities provided detailed an swers to Members' questions and comments 
expressed at this meeting. The sixth Review of In dia's trade policies was successfully concluded to 
the benefit of all the Membership. The large number of advance written questions submitted 
before the meeting and the number of delegations that took the floor during our two days of 
discussions highlight the importance attached to In dia's trade and related policies and its role in 
the multilateral trading system. In closing, I would like to thank Secretary Kher and the rest of the Indian delegation, all the other delegations, the Discussant and the Secretariat for the very 
positive and active contribution to the sixth Trade Policy Review of India. 
 
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