Archive · 29 Sep 2026
India’s Limited Regional Trade Creates Structural Economic Disadvantage
An expert says India does not trade very much with nearby countries.
He believes this is a long-term weakness for the economy.
Countries that trade heavily with their neighbours can build stronger supply chains and sell goods in more markets.
East Asia was given as an example of a region with close economic ties.
India has a large domestic market, but that does not fully replace regional trade.
The expert also said India has strengths, including a young population and fairly good inflation performance.
Government spending on infrastructure is another positive.
However, state debt, weaker private investment and high stock prices create challenges.
Expert Sharma says India has one of the world’s lowest intraregional trade rates.
India barely trades with neighbouring countries, limiting regional economic integration, Sharma said.
Sharma cited East Asia’s strong trade links as an example of regional integration supporting successful economies.
India’s demographics, inflation performance and government infrastructure investment were identified as relative strengths.
Rising state-level debt, weaker private investment, regulatory intervention and high equity valuations remain concerns.
- Who
- Sharma, an expert assessing emerging and frontier markets, made the assessment.
- What
- He said India’s low trade with neighbouring countries is a structural economic disadvantage.
- When
- The assessment applies to a three- to five-year investment horizon.
- Where
- India and its immediate South Asian region; East Asia was cited for comparison.
- Why
- Limited regional trade can restrict supply-chain development, export markets and the benefits of economic integration.
- Regional trade
- India has one of the lowest intraregional trade rates in the world, according to Sharma.
- Comparison
- Sharma cited East Asia as a region with strong economic links and substantial trade between countries.
- Assessment framework
- Geography is one of 10 factors in Sharma’s emerging- and frontier-market framework.
- Positive factors
- Demographics, inflation performance and government infrastructure investment were assessed relatively favourably.
- Debt
- Sharma gave India a relatively decent debt assessment but flagged rising state-level debt and deficits.
- Investment
- Government investment was strong, while private investment was weaker.
- Concerns
- Sharma raised concerns about regulatory intervention and elevated mid- and small-cap equity valuations.