Ajay Srivastava

Ajay Srivastava, founder of Global Trade Research Initiative, is an ex-Indian Trade Service officer with expertise in WTO and FTA negotiations.

US Announces Heavy Tariffs on Patented Drugs, Spares Generics for Now

Around 90% of India’s pharmaceutical exports to the US are generics

Ajay Srivastava

April 3, 2026 at 6:47 AM IST

WTO’s MC14 Ends in Deadlock, Exposes Deep Fault Lines

India’s blocking of IFDA helped defend the WTO’s consensus-based system. But principles alone won’t suffice and India should avoid being seen as standing alone.

Ajay Srivastava

March 30, 2026 at 5:38 AM IST

WTO

Pressure Mounts on India as WTO Talks Focus on E-Commerce and Investment Deals

A temporary compromise of 2–4 years appears the most likely outcome on e-commerce moratorium on customs duties.

Ajay Srivastava

March 28, 2026 at 6:38 AM IST

WTO

Washington Turns to Trade Investigations as Tariff Strategy Unravels

With its reciprocal tariff strategy struck down by the Supreme Court, Washington is reviving Section 301 probes, placing India and 15 economies under scrutiny.

Ajay Srivastava

March 12, 2026 at 9:55 AM IST

Gulf Turmoil Puts India’s Farm Exports at Risk

India exported $7.48 billion of cereals, fruits, vegetables and spices to West Asia in 2025, with the region accounting for 29.2% of India’s global exports in this category.

Ajay Srivastava

March 7, 2026 at 12:52 PM IST

iStock.com/SushilPrajapati

Iran Crisis Threatens Global Oil Flow and India

Iran is unlikely to resemble Venezuela-style regime collapse scenarios. Iran’s political system rests on powerful parallel institutions — the clerical establishment, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and entrenched nationalist sentiment — making rapid external regime engineering improbable.

Ajay Srivastava

March 1, 2026 at 12:15 PM IST

Pavel Muravev/iStock.com

US Slaps 126% Duty on Indian Solar Exports, Subsidised Parts From China Under Lens

Even if India redesigns its incentive programmes, exporters that rely on Chinese inputs may still face countervailing duties.

Ajay Srivastava

February 25, 2026 at 4:16 PM IST

iStock.com

India Must Reassess US Trade Deal After Tariff Ruling

Opinion

Sweeping tariffs are harder to impose now. Legal options exist, but they are slower, more limited, and vulnerable to legal challenge.

Ajay Srivastava

February 21, 2026 at 7:19 AM IST

Kremlin

Rising Imports and Costly Supply Chains Squeeze India’s Apple Economy

India’s apple economy is at a crossroads. Imports, now equal to roughly one-fifth of domestic production, will likely expand further.

Ajay Srivastava

February 17, 2026 at 5:07 AM IST

iStock.com

Washington Extracts Its Pound of Flesh from Dhaka

In exchange for a narrow and conditional promise of zero-duty access for garments made with US fibres, Bangladesh has agreed to open its market widely to the US.

Ajay Srivastava

February 10, 2026 at 4:20 PM IST

iStock.com

Tariff Relief for India, Tariff and Strategic Gains for the United States

India has agreed to align more closely with the US on economic security, potentially constraining its freedom to trade with third countries and tying its policies to US sanctions and geopolitical priorities.

Ajay Srivastava

February 7, 2026 at 12:37 PM IST

White House

Modi–Trump Tariff Deal Sounds Big, But Trade Details Remain Unclear

Trump and Modi tout tariff cuts and mega purchases, but numbers, coverage and timelines are fuzzy, making the pact more signal than a settled deal.

Ajay Srivastava

February 3, 2026 at 1:08 AM IST

White House

India Lowers Import Barriers Where It Matters Most

Budget 2026

India’s Budget, though country-neutral, improves market access prospects for US exporters across several high-value sectors.

Ajay Srivastava

February 1, 2026 at 10:14 AM IST

iStock.com

India–EU FTA Anchors Ties, But CBAM Remains the Elephant in the Room

The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism remains outside the deal, creating a structural imbalance.

Ajay Srivastava

January 27, 2026 at 11:32 AM IST

PMO

India Faces Higher EU Tariffs as GSP Suspension Hits 87% of Exports

While there is optimism over the conclusion of the India–EU Free Trade Agreement, Indian exporters will, in reality, confront higher trade barriers in the near term

Ajay Srivastava

January 23, 2026 at 10:23 AM IST

Istock.com

India and Trump’s Gaza Peace Board: A Risky Invitation

Opinion

The US-dominated structure offers little clarity on Gaza’s future governance, borders or sovereignty.

Ajay Srivastava

January 20, 2026 at 12:06 PM IST

Jaber Jehad Badwan/Via WikiCommons

Greenland’s Lesson for India: US Trade Deals Don’t Guarantee Protection

In a volatile global order, restraint, diversification and sovereign decision-making matter more than promises that can be withdrawn overnight.

Ajay Srivastava

January 18, 2026 at 6:00 AM IST

Jens Cederskjold/ Via Wikicommons

Don’t Miss the Window to Overhaul Tariffs and Customs to Boost Trade

Budget 2026

None of the reforms will succeed in isolation. Implemented together, they could lower trade costs, attract investment and position customs as a facilitator rather than a bottleneck. But the policy window is narrow.

Ajay Srivastava

January 18, 2026 at 4:05 AM IST

iStock.com

Why Blaming a Missed Call Won’t Explain the India–US Trade Impasse

Trade deals of this scale hinge on unresolved policy differences—on tariffs, agriculture, digital trade and regulatory autonomy—not on symbolic gestures.

Ajay Srivastava

January 9, 2026 at 2:57 PM IST

White House

Why Steel Sector Protection Must be Reviewed

Opinion

The CCI has reportedly found evidence of cartelisation by steel producers, but is yet to issue a final order. Downstream industries though have already paid the price.

Ajay Srivastava

January 8, 2026 at 9:32 AM IST

iStock.com

The Bureau

IMD Sees Below-Normal Monsoon Rains for 2026; Rainfall Likely at 92% of Average

Equities Fall as Oil Breaches $100, West Asia Tensions Weigh

March CPI Rises to 3.40%, Highest in 12 Months as Food Prices Firm Up

US Threatens Naval Blockade of Hormuz, Escalates Iran Standoff

India’s capital flows outlook brightens as FDI holds firm, RBI says

India Remittance Flows seen Steady Despite West Asia tensions

Malhotra says RBI’s FX Steps Tactical, Not Structural

RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% Amid Global Uncertainty: Key Policy Takeaways

Iran War Shadow: Livelihood Under Pressure in Post-MGREGA Rural India?

Learning to Shoot: I Tried to Fly Before I Could Walk