---
title: "Indians Are Now More Supportive of Trade and Foreign Investment"
description: "The Indian public's views on trade and foreign investment are more positive than past Indian governments have claimed and more positive than foreigners often assume."
date: "2014-11-15"
authors:
  - name: "No Author"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2014/11/15/indians-are-now-more-supportive-of-trade-and-foreign-investment/"
---

# Indians Are Now More Supportive of Trade and Foreign Investment

*By Bruce Stokes, Director of Economic Attitudes, Pew Research Center*

*Special to Business Standard*

Indian trade and foreign investment policy has long been stuck in neutral thanks to uncertainty at home over the political implications of opening up the Indian economy to further global competition, international disagreement over India's [food security programme ](http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=Food+Security+Programme)and the lack of ambition in both Washington and New Delhi over where to take U.S.-India trade relations.

It is little wonder then, that Indian international trade, measured on a per capita basis, is just over a quarter of that in [China ](http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=China)or Brazil, according to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

That logjam might now be breaking up. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has liberalised some foreign investment restrictions as part of its Make In India campaign to transform India into a global manufacturing hub. The Obama administration has agreed that the Indian food security programme will not be challenged through a [WTO ](http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=Wto)dispute settlement while a permanent solution regarding this issue is hammered out.