India’s Global Value Chains Participation: A Comparative Analysis across Sectors

On 17 December, the tenth webinar of the series “Journey through contemporary India: dialogues with experts” was held.

The webinar focused on India’s integration into Global Value Chains (GVCs), in the context of the increasing fragmentation of global production and the expansion of trade in parts and components across countries.

Despite its favourable resource endowment, India’s participation in GVCs remains limited. At the same time, rising dependence on Chinese imports, increasing youth unemployment, and signs of premature deindustrialization raise concerns about the country’s development trajectory.

The webinar examined sector-specific GVC trends in India, comparing them with those of key competitors. It also explored the main factors shaping GVC integration - including tariffs, exchange rates, and industrial policy - as well as the potential benefits associated with new free trade agreements.