India Calls For Diversified Trade, Stronger Supply Chains & MSME Integration At SCO Meet

(MENAFN- KNN India) New Delhi, Sep 8 (KNN) India underscored the need to leverage the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's (SCO) collective strengths for regional prosperity at the SCO Trade Ministers' Meeting held in Vladivostok on Saturday.

With the bloc accounting for 42 percent of the global population and 17.2 percent of world trade, India highlighted the urgency of diversifying exports, reducing dependencies, and building resilient supply chains.

Amitabh Kumar, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce stressed the importance of an open, fair, inclusive and non-discriminatory multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core.

He called for a development-focused agenda, including a permanent solution on public stockholding for food security, effective special and differential treatment for developing nations, and restoration of a fully functional WTO dispute settlement mechanism.

Kumar also emphasised services trade, cross-border mobility of skilled professionals, and greater MSME integration into global value chains.

India noted that balanced and predictable market access, cooperation on standards, and streamlined trade facilitation are essential to address trade imbalances.

It cautioned against the misuse of export-related measures, urging their transparent and calibrated application to preserve trust in global commerce.

On the digital economy, India proposed SCO workstreams to advance fair and predictable regulations, share best practices, and build capacity for secure digitalisation.

It showcased India's Digital Public Infrastructure, including UPI for payments, India Stack for identity management, and ONDC for digital commerce, presenting them as low-cost, scalable models to support MSMEs and enhance market access.

In the area of sustainable development, India reaffirmed its commitment to equity and the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities.

It highlighted the Mission LiFE initiative, while cautioning that trade-linked climate measures must not lead to arbitrary or unjustified discrimination.

India also spotlighted the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) sector as a driver of exports and jobs.

It recalled the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025), which catalysed new initiatives in global media collaboration, start-up funding, and talent development, supported by simplified film production frameworks and multiple co-production agreements.

(KNN Bureau)

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