India has climbed 25 places in the global rankings, improving from 82nd to 57th between 2010 and 2023, according to the Competere Foundation’s report, India’s Next Growth Frontier: Reducing Anti-Competitive Market Distortions to Build on India’s 2010–2023 Reform Progress. The report attributes this rise to sustained structural and pro-competitive reforms that have reduced market distortions and strengthened India’s competitiveness.
The report was unveiled at a discussion hosted by the Centre for Trade and Investment Law (CTIL), Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), in collaboration with the Competere Foundation, at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The event focused on India’s reform journey, competitiveness, and the next phase of policy reforms needed to support long-term growth.
The study evaluates India’s performance across three pillars—property rights protection, domestic competition, and international competition. It highlights key reforms such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), improvements in the regulatory framework, and modernised trade facilitation systems. It also examines developments in competition policy, investment climate, digital markets, and external regulatory barriers affecting global trade.
The inaugural session featured welcome remarks by Dr. James J. Nedumpara, Head of CTIL, followed by a keynote address from Shri Sudhanshu Pandey, State Election Commissioner of the Union Territory of Ladakh and former Secretary to the Government of India. Mr. Shanker Singham, Chairman and President of the Competere Foundation, presented the report’s key findings.
The report recommends an evidence-based approach to competition policy, a review of sector-specific investment restrictions with a focus on consumer welfare, and stronger collaboration with like-minded trading partners to reduce international regulatory barriers. The event concluded with a panel discussion and interactive Q&A involving experts from the legal, academic, industry, and policy sectors on India’s competitiveness and future reform priorities.