Archive · 2 Aug 2026
India's Domestic Reforms Offer Greater Gains Than Trade Deals
Shanker Singham, the head of a consulting firm, says India can make a lot more money if it fixes rules inside the country instead of just signing more trade deals.
He thinks making it easier for companies to compete and invest will help the economy grow more than opening up trade.
He points out that some parts of India, like online shopping and telecom, still have rules that slow them down.
He also warns that a new law about digital competition could stop new ideas from growing.
Even though India has trade deals with the UK and UAE, Singham says those are good but not as powerful as fixing the rules inside India.
India could unlock $174 billion over five years by easing investment restrictions and competition barriers.
Domestic regulatory reforms, especially competition, are more effective than trade liberalisation in boosting GDP per capita.
Sectors such as e‑commerce, telecom, media, and space still face distortions that limit growth.
Competere warns against India’s proposed Digital Competition Bill, citing risk to innovation.
Existing FTAs with the UK and UAE are valuable but not as impactful as internal reforms.
- Who
- Shanker Singham, CEO of Competere
- What
- Analysis that domestic reforms yield larger economic gains than trade deals
- When
- 2023 (report covers 2010‑2023 and a five‑year projection)
- Where
- India
- Why
- To highlight the importance of easing domestic regulations to unlock growth
- Potential Economic Gain
- $174 billion over five years
- Key Reforms
- Domestic competition, investment restrictions
- Sectors with Distortions
- Retail, e‑commerce, telecom, media, space
- Digital Competition Bill
- Criticized
- FTAs Mentioned
- UK, UAE