India builds system to catch global trade winds

India is building a global trade data intelligence system that will offer real-time insights and early warnings of emerging stress points, two people aware of the matter said.

- Dhirendra Kumar & Rhik Kundu

The commerce ministry initiative called Global Trade Watch is modelled on similar efforts in the US, EU and China, and part of a drive to fortify export strategy amid escalating trade volatility. The initiative will integrate inputs from various ministries and agencies to track sector-specific performance across goods and services. It will be accessible on the ministry's website and also published as a physical booklet every month.

Commerce secretary Sunil Barthwal confirmed that the initiative will be rolled out next month, but did not offer details. A ministry spokesperson didn’t respond to emailed queries.

“This marks a clear shift toward proactive and intelligent trade policymaking,” one of the two people cited earlier said. “The feature is built to enhance inter-ministerial coordination and provide policymakers with timely, actionable insights tailored to their respective sectors,” the person added.