India's merchandise and services exports reached a record $863.1 billion in 2025-26, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal announced at the country's 8th Trade Policy Review (TPR) before the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva on 22 July. Agarwal underscored that India sustained an average annual growth rate of nearly 8 per cent through the review period despite a turbulent global environment marked by supply chain disruptions and rising protectionism.

Key Developments at the WTO Review

The Trade Policy Review, which assessed India's trade and related policies from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2025, served as a platform for India to reaffirm its commitment to a balanced, rules-based, development-oriented, and transparent multilateral trading system. Agarwal described India's challenge as 'advancing the prosperity of nearly one-fifth of humanity amid global uncertainty, technological disruption, supply chain realignments and rising protectionism.'

Several WTO member nations recalled the depth of their trade and economic ties with India, broadly commending the country's constructive engagement in multilateral forums and its demonstrated economic resilience over the review period.

Reforms India Highlighted

Agarwal presented a wide-ranging slate of domestic policy actions undertaken during the review period. These included structural reforms under the Jan Vishwas Initiative, trade facilitation upgrades, digital customs modernisation, logistics infrastructure improvements, and the expansion of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). India also highlighted its push in artificial intelligence, innovation, and sustainability, alongside agricultural resilience programmes and the broadening of regional trade agreements.

Inclusive development initiatives — particularly South-South Cooperation and the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme — were also cited as pillars of India's trade and development strategy.

WTO Chair's Assessment

Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB) Chair Ambassador Nelle Pepe Tavita Levy welcomed the Indian delegation and acknowledged India's standing as one of the fastest-growing major economies, noting its trajectory toward the Viksit Bharat vision by 2047. Levy specifically recognised India's leadership in digitally delivered services exports and DPI-driven financial inclusion reforms.

According to an official statement, Levy also welcomed India's acceptance of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, marked by the deposition of its Instrument of Acceptance the previous day. She described India's timely responses to all advance written questions as a demonstration of transparency under the Trade Policy Review Mechanism.

Broader Significance

This comes amid a period of heightened global trade tensions, with protectionist measures proliferating across major economies. India's record export figure and near-8% growth rate position it as one of the few large economies to have maintained momentum through successive global shocks — from the pandemic aftershocks to geopolitical realignments. WTO members also highlighted India's efforts to integrate MSMEs into global value chains as a model for developing-economy participation in international trade.

India's next steps at the WTO will likely centre on advancing its positions on fisheries subsidies implementation, e-commerce negotiations, and the reform agenda for the dispute settlement mechanism — areas where New Delhi's stance carries significant weight for the Global South.