Trade in Land Transport Services: Railways

At a seminar organised by ICRIER on August 6, 2003, Dr. Arpita Mukherjee, Senior Fellow, ICRIER, and Ms. Ruchika Sachdeva, Consultant, ICRIER, made presentations on a sectoral study titled 'Trade in Land Transport Services: Railways', based on a project funded by the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India. This study investigates the recent trends and developments in the rail transport sector, globally and in India, within the context of the GATS 2000 negotiations. The findings shared at the seminar emphasised that the sector witnessed limited liberalisation during the Uruguay Round of negotiations as few WTO Members scheduled commitments. The railway network in India, which is under a public monopoly, has resulted in monopoly-induced inefficiencies and low level of productivity. The study emphasised on the need and urgency for restructuring the rail transport services and suggested various reform measures to enhance the productivity, efficiency, and global competitiveness of this sector. The seminar was attended by academicians and representatives from various ministries/departments and, industry associations. Mr. B. K. Zutshi, Advisor, WTO Issues, ICRIER, chaired the session.