Ngozi urges India to lead WTO reforms

In a strong call for global trade leadership, WTO(World Trade Organisation) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Friday said India must step forward as a key driver of the reform process at the World Trade Organisation, arguing that the world’s fastest-growing major economy now has both the scale and credibility to shape the future of global trade rules.

Speaking at the CII Partnership Summit 2025 in Visakhapatnam, Ngozi said the WTO is facing serious stress, and the world needs proactive members like India to help fix gaps in the system. “India should be a leader in the reform process at the WTO,” she said, stressing that the multilateral body cannot afford to become “power-based instead of rules-based.”

She noted that India’s economic rise particularly in technology and digital sectors positions it to influence global trade norms meaningfully. With trade disruptions increasing worldwide, she urged countries to come together to modernise the WTO structure, including areas that no longer function effectively.

Ngozi also pointed to the growing strain caused by unilateral tariff actions, especially from the United States. The US has sharply raised several tariffs and has repeatedly questioned the functioning of WTO mechanisms, including its dispute settlement system. She urged all countries to take these concerns seriously. “We must listen to what they say,” she said, referring to US complaints on tariff barriers, lack of transparency and unfair trade practices by some nations.

India too, she acknowledged, has long-standing concerns such as public stockholding for food security but cautioned that repeating grievances without seeking solutions will not strengthen the system. She encouraged India and other developing economies to push for reforms while ensuring that the multilateral framework remains central to global trade.

Emphasising the continued relevance of the WTO despite ongoing turbulence, Ngozi said 72 per cent of global trade still flows under WTO rules, demonstrating the organisation’s stabilising role. However, she warned that this resilience cannot last without collective action. “There is a need to work together on reforms, otherwise the resilience will not sustain,” she said.

The WTO chief underlined that while countries may engage in bilateral trade deals to advance growth, such agreements cannot replace a stable global system. “You also need a multilateral system to move forward,” she said, calling the WTO indispensable for predictability in global commerce.

Ngozi’s remarks come at a time when the 166-member WTO, of which India has been part since 1995, is under pressure to modernise its rules, improve transparency and resolve institutional deadlocks. Her message was clear: India, as a major economy with rising global influence, must play a central role in shaping the next phase of WTO reforms.

The World Trade Organisation serves as the central forum where nations negotiate trade rules and resolve commercial disputes. It works to ensure that global trade moves smoothly by promoting transparency and predictable market access.

The body oversees agreements that cover goods, services and intellectual property across its 166 member economies. As global supply chains face pressure from geopolitical tensions, the WTO’s role in preserving stability has become increasingly critical. Despite ongoing debates over its relevance, the organisation remains the only platform offering a universal rules-based trading framework.