After submitting a concept note on a trade facilitation agreement on services at the World Trade Organization (WTO), India is planning to firm up its strategy for the next course of action across key issues at the multilateral body. The idea is to prepare a road map for post-Nairobi ministerial world order and take stock of steps already taken by the country at the WTO.

Doha round of negotiations has remained stalled since 2008 primarily over the issue of huge trade-distorting subsidies being given to farmers by rich countries. The fundamental objective at Doha was to improve trading prospects for developing nations. While India and other developing nations are waiting for this, developed countries are seeking to mostly dilute the negotiations and widen the mandate with new issues including e-commerce and the global value chain.

India has also been seeking concrete work plans on a special safeguard mechanism for developing countries to protect their farmers from a spurt in imports and on a permanent solution to the issue of its official grain procurement and food security in the country as agreed on in the Bali ministerial. The foreign trade policy of April 2015 targeted to double export of goods and services to 900 billion dollars by 2020.