India's Pivotal Role in WTO Reforms: A Global Perspective

India's Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal, iterates the nation's willingness to spearhead WTO reforms, stressing consultation with developing nations. At the CII Partnership Summit 2025, Goyal emphasized India's role as a responsible global entity, aligning reforms to global welfare over developed nations' agendas.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal affirmed India's readiness to take a leadership role in pioneering reforms within the World Trade Organization, emphasizing the necessity of shaping these reforms through dialogue with developing and least-developed countries. This approach aims to ensure global welfare is prioritized over the interests of advanced economies.

Speaking at the CII Partnership Summit 2025, Goyal highlighted India's recognized global leadership and its commitment to being an influential voice for the Global South. He asserted that reform at the WTO should be collaborative, ensuring that developing nations have a significant say in the process.

Goyal's comments followed remarks from WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who urged India to lead the reform agenda. Amidst increasing calls for changes in the WTO's structure from developed nations, the minister reiterated India's stance on achieving consensus among all members to address issues like the dispute settlement mechanism and public stockholding.

(With inputs from agencies.)