In mid 2021, the PM addressed heads of Indian missions abroad and the stakeholders of the trade and commerce sector. He observed that “when the country is moving towards the mission of Atmanirbhar Bharat, one of its goals is to increase India's share in exports manifold”. He observed that to achieve this we have to make sure that we get access to the global supply chain, so that our business could scale and grow. He added that our industry will also have to move towards the best technology, focus on innovation and increased share in R&D. “While encouraging competition and excellence, we have to prepare global champions in every sector.”

It is precisely for these reasons that we need focussed attention on developing our global trade.

It is indeed very common for many countries including the U.K., Australia, European countries to have trade commissioners. Almost all of them are experienced business leaders from private sector who play this role for their country. For example, the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) has over 75 global offices. It has diplomatically accredited trade commissioners and teams of experienced local talent. The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service has over 160 offices in Canada and abroad, employing both Canadian citizens and foreign nationals with this title. Even smaller countries like Tanzania have their trade commissioners in India. The U.S. commercial services has its trade officers globally, as well as in over 100 locations in the U.S. They offer business match making and enable ease of business entry and access.

Trade commissioner

Such positions are created by governments with primary duties to promote global trade and facilitate two-way trade movement with and for their country’s industries. They not only promote national trade, but also facilitate global access for their nation’s regional and smaller trade sectors. They also support export opportunities and help in pitching for global inward investments. They offer support for their home country firms to market themselves better in other countries.

Usually these experienced leaders are not career diplomats or bureaucrats. They are from the industry, understand business, regulations, issues that govern multiple industrial sectors. Often they are well networked, and have high energy levels, maturity and tact to deal with official rules of business engagement. They are located in different parts of the world, and push the trade agenda (both inward and outward) of their country. They don’t have the shackles of being part of the officialdom, while they do have their roles, responsibilities covered well and with sufficient non-disclosure arrangements. Some of the non-conflict situations arise when they have to push forward agenda of any company/sector that they had been part of, before their trade commissioner role. The fears of misuse of such appointments by people from large enterprises is misplaced, for those large enterprises anyways have a full team of advisors, market-makers, policy advisors, lobbying power including retired bureaucrats and regulators, etc.

indian foreign service

Why India urgently needs trade commissioners?