**Executive Summary**
The NITI Aayog launched the fifth edition of the "Trade Watch Quarterly" on January 6th, 2026. This edition, focusing on Quarter I of FY 2025-26 (April-June 2025), provides a comprehensive assessment of India's trade performance, with a thematic focus on India's automotive exports. The publication includes key challenges and policy priorities to strengthen competitiveness and export performance. The full report is available online.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **General Trade Performance:**
* Highlights structural shifts in India's trade profile.
* Notes the rising contribution of technology-intensive exports and services-led growth.
* Identifies changes in import composition, reflecting integration into global value chains.
* **Automotive Export Focus:**
* Examines global demand patterns for automobiles.
* Analyses India's export footprint in vehicles and auto components.
* Reviews tariff structures, intra-industry trade, and participation in global value chains.
* **Sector Analysis & Recommendations:**
* India has achieved notable gains in auto components and select vehicle segments.
* India can scale further through value-chain integration, improved logistics, and alignment with global demand.
* Suggests specific policy steps for competitiveness, global positioning, and reorientation toward high-demand segments.
* Recommends strengthening quality standards, certification, technology adoption, and market diversification.
* **Strategic Importance:**
* Dr. Virmani emphasized strengthening India's export competitiveness.
* The Publication serves as a reference for policy makers, industry stakeholders, researchers, and academia.
**Impact Analysis**
**Policymakers**
*Impact:* Will gain evidence-based insights and forward-looking policy recommendations to strengthen India’s trade performance.
*Action Required:* To consider the analysis and recommendations for policy formulation.
**Industry Stakeholders**
*Impact:* Will receive data-driven assessment and suggestions for business expansion.
*Action Required:* To use the insights to enhance global positioning, two-way trade, and reorient production.
**Researchers and Academia**
*Impact:* Will have a valuable reference for evidence-based insights.
*Action Required:* To leverage information for academic research.
Key Entities Referenced
NITI Aayog: Government think tank responsible for policy formulation.
Trade Watch Quarterly: A NITI Aayog publication providing a data-driven assessment of India's trade performance.
New Delhi: Location of the release of the Trade Watch Quarterly report.
NITI Aayog
NITI Aayog launches fifth edition of “Trade Watch
Quarterly”
प्रव तथ: 06 JAN 2026 4:48PM by PIB Delhi
“The latest edition of Trade Watch Quarterly offers a comprehensive and data-driven assessment of India’s
trade performance amid evolving global conditions, with a special focus on the structure and
competitiveness of India’s automotive exports.” - Dr. Arvind Virmani, Hon'ble Member, NITI Aayog.
The latest edition of the ‘Trade Watch Quarterly’ for Quarter I of FY 2025–26 (April–June 2025) was
released on 6th January 2026 in New Delhi by Dr. Arvind Virmani, Hon’ble Member of NITI Aayog, in the
distinguished presence of senior officials and other members.
The publication highlights emerging structural shifts in India’s trade profile, including the rising
contribution of technology-intensive exports, the continued strength of services-led growth, and changes
in import composition reflecting deeper integration into global value chains. In addition, the thematic
section of this quarter’s edition focuses on India’s automotive exports, examining global demand patterns,
India’s export footprint across vehicles and auto components, tariff structures, intra-industry trade, and
participation in global value chains, while identifying key challenges and policy priorities to strengthen
competitiveness and export performance.
The thematic focus of this quarter’s edition is India’s automotive exports, a sector with rising global
relevance, strong domestic production capabilities, and expanding international market presence. India has
achieved notable gains in auto components and in vehicle segments such as motorcycles and tractors,
reflecting growing manufacturing depth and competitiveness. With increasing integration into global valuechains and a broad export footprint across advanced and emerging markets, the sector is well positioned to
scale further through continued value-chain integration, improved logistics, and closer alignment with
global demand.
Though India has done well in specific segments of the automotive export market, there are significant
opportunities to increase market share in the $2.2 trillion global automotive export market, which is
growing. The analysis, based on mapping of global automotive exports, India’s exports, and stakeholder
consultations, suggests specific policy steps to enhance competitiveness, global positioning, two-way
trade, and to reorient production toward high-demand segments. Further, suggestions include
strengthening quality standards, certification systems, technology adoption and market diversification
alongside fostering forward linkages in global automotive supply chains.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Virmani emphasised that strengthening India’s export competitiveness,
particularly in sectors such as automobiles, will be critical for sustaining long-term growth and
employment generation.
The publication serves as a valuable reference for policymakers, industry stakeholders, researchers, and
academia by offering evidence-based insights and forward-looking policy recommendations to strengthen
India’s trade performance in a rapidly changing global environment.
The full publication can be accessed at: https://niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2026-01/Trade_Watch_Qua
rterly_April_June_Q1_FY26.pdf
***
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