India’s trade policy response to the World Trade Organization (WTO) regime reflects a combination of strategic adaptation, protective measures, and proactive engagement aimed at balancing national economic interests with the demands of global trade liberalization. Since joining the WTO in 1995, India has sought to align its trade policies with the multilateral rules while safeguarding its domestic industries, agriculture, and social development objectives. The response has evolved through multiple phases, influenced by both internal economic reforms and external pressures from the global trading system. At the outset, India approached the WTO framework cautiously, mindful of its developmental priorities. The country’s early trade policy response emphasized gradual liberalization, maintaining a controlled opening of markets, particularly in sensitive sectors such as agriculture, textiles, and manufacturing. India advocated for the principle of special and differential treatment for developing countries, which allows flexibility in implementing trade commitments. This principle became a cornerstone of India’s negotiations, enabling it to seek longer transition periods, safeguard tariffs, and protect nascent industries from abrupt exposure to international competition. India’s response to the WTO regime has been shaped significantly by its trade policy instruments, including tariffs, non-tariff measures, export promotion schemes, and subsidies in compliance with WTO rules. The country has strategically used the tariff regime to protect domestic industries while progressively reducing tariffs in non-sensitive sectors to enhance competitiveness. In sectors like pharmaceuticals, India leveraged its intellectual property rights (IPR) policies under the TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) Agreement to become a global supplier of generic medicines. India argued for flexibility in patent protection to ensure access to affordable medicines domestically and internationally, successfully negotiating provisions that accommodate public health concerns. Non-tariff measures have also played a vital role in India’s WTO response. Standards, technical regulations, and quality control measures are often framed to protect consumer interests, while remaining compliant with the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures. India has been particularly vigilant in ensuring that these measures are not used by other countries as disguised barriers to trade. Moreover, India has actively engaged in WTO dispute settlement mechanisms to defend its trade policies, filing and responding to disputes to ensure its trade practices are recognized