India builds new system to catch global trade winds

Global Trade Watch will issue early warnings, alert emerging opportunities

- Dhirendra Kumar & Rhik Kundu

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. The commerce ministry initiative called Global Trade Watch is modeled on similar efforts in the U.S., 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 monthly 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.

India's model draws from global best practices such as the U.S. International Trade Commission's sectoral monitoring system, China's AI-driven demand tracking, and the EU's expansive trade surveillance framework.

Initially, it will be available only for policymakers, but will open to the wider public later.

The system will flag sectors with flat or declining exports, monitor global trade policy shifts, and identify early signs of disruption or opportunity.