Category: international trade
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The India–USA Free Trade Agreement: A Deal Bigger Than Trade
From Trade Deficits to Strategic Dependence Trade agreements were once simple documents designed to reduce tariffs and increase commerce. The future India–USA Free Trade Agreement is something very different. It is emerging at a time when economics, technology, security, supply chains, energy, and geopolitics have become deeply interconnected. This is…
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The Trade Agreement That Extends Beyond Tariffs
A New Chapter in India–US Economic Relations Trade negotiations between India and the United States have often moved through cycles of optimism, disagreement, compromise, and strategic recalibration. The latest discussions surrounding the first phase of an India–US trade agreement appear to be following a similar pattern. Yet beneath the headlines…
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The New Geography of Power: Why the Global Economy Is No Longer Playing by Old Rules
For much of the last four decades, the world economy appeared to move in a predictable direction. Countries specialized according to their strengths, businesses chased efficiency, and global supply chains stretched across continents. The assumption was simple: economics would dominate politics. Today, that assumption is rapidly breaking down. The world…
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Rules of Origin: The Hidden Battleground of Global Trade
For decades, international trade was largely shaped by tariffs, quotas, and market access negotiations. Today, however, a quieter but increasingly important issue is emerging at the center of global trade discussions. Rules of origin are becoming one of the most critical determinants of who truly benefits from Free Trade Agreements.…
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India–Canada Trade Reset and the Illusion of Easy Globalisation
The renewed attempt by India and Canada to conclude a trade agreement before the end of the year reflects far more than a normal Free Trade Agreement negotiation. It reflects the changing psychology of the global economy itself. Countries are no longer entering trade partnerships merely for tariff reduction. They…
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Currency Wars and the New Geopolitical Economy
For decades, currencies were treated largely as economic instruments linked to trade balances, inflation control, and monetary stability. Today, currencies are slowly transforming into geopolitical weapons. Exchange rates are no longer merely numbers decided by markets or central banks. They are becoming instruments of strategic influence, economic pressure, export competitiveness,…
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India–UAE Economic Partnership: Opportunity or Strategic Dependency? The India–United Arab Emirates economic relationship is entering a new phase where trade is no longer only about oil, gold, or remittances. It is now moving toward strategic investments, logistics corridors, ports, digital infrastructure, food systems, energy transition, and sovereign wealth participation. At…
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Platforms, Power and the Invisible Control of Everyday Life
The history of economic power has always moved through different centres of control. In earlier centuries, landowners controlled agriculture, industrialists controlled factories, and banks controlled finance. Today, a new form of power is emerging through consumer technology platforms that increasingly shape how people buy, travel, communicate, learn, entertain themselves, and…
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Cheap Labour or Ecosystem: What Is Really Driving the Shift of IT Majors from China to India
For nearly three decades, the global business community looked at India mainly as a destination for low-cost talent. The image was simple. Cheap engineers, English-speaking graduates, back-office support, call centres, coding support, and outsourced software maintenance. China, meanwhile, became the world’s factory with unmatched infrastructure, manufacturing ecosystems, and execution speed.…