India to host next round of negotiations of US-led IPEF in February

Negotiations will include supply chain, tax and anti-corruption pillars under IPEF

India will host the next special negotiation round on three of the four pillars of the United States-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) on February 8-11 next year, the commerce and industry ministry said on Tuesday.

The three pillars are supply chain and fair economy, tax and anti corruption, and clean economy.

IPEF has four pillars in all–trade, supply chain, tax and anti-corruption and clean energy.

However, during the first-ever in-person ministerial in September, India decided to join only three pillars, and opted out of the crucial trade pillar, as broad consensus had not emerged on issues pertaining to labour, environment, digital trade and