Explained: What walking out of IPEF's trade pillar means for India

Experts said that opting out is a step in the right direction as India may not be prepared enough to handle negotiations dealing with issues such as labour, environment standards and digital trade

India on Friday had pulled out of the trade-related negotiations pertaining to the United States-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). It cited that it is unclear what benefits member countries, including India, would derive through the negotiations at this stage.
 

Experts said that opting out of the trade pillar under IPEF for now is a step in the right direction. This is because India may not be prepared enough to handle negotiations dealing with issues such as labour, environment standards and digital trade.
 

In all of these areas, the domestic regulations are yet to reach a level of maturity, which has