Globalisation — Meaning,
Factors, Significance & Impacts
A comprehensive UPSC guide to globalisation and its impact on Indian society — from the 1991 LPG reforms to the era of geoeconomic fragmentation (2025–26). Covers positive and negative impacts, cultural effects, deglobalisation, Aatmanirbhar Bharat, India-UK CETA, PLI schemes, UPSC PYQs, probable questions, and FAQs. All data verified against current sources.
What is Globalisation?
Globalisation refers to the increasing interconnectedness of the world's economies, cultures, and populations — driven by cross-border trade in goods and services, technological advancements, and the movement of investment, people, and information. It is a process that has accelerated dramatically since the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s.
The term gained widespread recognition post-1991, when the collapse of the Soviet Union, the spread of market economies, and the rise of the internet converged to create an unprecedented era of economic integration. For India, the pivotal moment was the 1991 LPG (Liberalisation, Privatisation, Globalisation) reforms — triggered by a balance of payments crisis and implemented under PM P.V. Narasimha Rao and Finance Minister Manmohan Singh. These reforms dismantled the Licence Raj, invited foreign investment, and fundamentally transformed India's economic trajectory.
Today, globalisation is at an inflection point. The "golden era" of hyperglobalisation (1990s–2008) has given way to what economists call geoeconomic fragmentation — where trade, technology, and investment are increasingly shaped by geopolitical rivalry rather than economic efficiency alone. Understanding both phases — the benefits of globalisation AND the challenges of its retreat — is essential for UPSC Mains 2026.
Globalisation — Tested across
GS I, II, III, Essay & Interview
Factors and Causes of
Globalisation in India
Several convergent factors have driven India's integration into the global economy — from landmark policy reforms to technological revolutions and cultural exchanges. Understanding each factor with specific data is essential for Mains answers.
1991 LPG Economic Reforms
India's balance of payments crisis (foreign reserves covering only 3 weeks of imports) triggered the landmark Liberalisation, Privatisation, Globalisation (LPG) reforms in 1991. Import duties reduced; industries deregulated; foreign investment invited. This dismantled the Licence Raj and fundamentally opened India's economy to the world.
Information Technology Revolution
India emerged as a global IT and software hub — leveraging a skilled, English-proficient workforce. Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune became global outsourcing centres. India's IT-BPM sector generated approximately $254 billion in revenues in FY2024, employing 5.4 million professionals. IT globalisation was India's most transformative economic story of the 1990s–2020s.
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
India actively sought FDI by easing restrictions across sectors. FDI brought capital, technology, managerial expertise, and access to global supply chains. India received $84.8 billion in FDI in FY2021–22 (peak). The insurance sector FDI cap is being raised to 100% (announced in Union Budget 2025). India's Global Innovation Index rank improved from 81st (2015) to 38th (2025).
WTO and Multilateral Trade
India joined the WTO in 1995 — committing to rules-based international trade. The WTO framework facilitated India's export growth, particularly in services, pharmaceuticals, and textiles. However, WTO dispute resolution has increasingly been challenged as the US blocked the Appellate Body, leaving multilateral trade governance weakened by 2025.
Infrastructure Development
Investments in ports, airports, highways (Golden Quadrilateral), and logistics hubs enhanced India's connectivity with the global economy. The National Logistics Policy (2022) and PM Gati Shakti Mission are accelerating infrastructure development to reduce India's logistics cost (currently ~13% of GDP vs the global average of 8%).
Diverse & Skilled Workforce
India's large, English-proficient, diverse, and increasingly skilled workforce has been a foundational asset for globalisation. With 18+ million members of the Indian diaspora in 150+ countries, India has a global human capital advantage. Remittances reached approximately $125 billion in 2023 — the world's highest.
Cultural Exchange & Soft Power
India's rich cultural heritage — Bollywood, yoga, cuisine, philosophy — has gained unprecedented global recognition. The United Nations declared June 21 as International Yoga Day (2015), with 177 nations co-sponsoring. Bollywood generates $2.3 billion in annual revenues. Indian cuisine is among the top 5 most popular globally. Cultural soft power drives economic globalisation.
Global Indian Diaspora
The Indian diaspora — 18+ million people in 150+ countries — has acted as a powerful bridge for globalisation. Indian-Americans head major global corporations (Sundar Pichai at Google, Satya Nadella at Microsoft, Indra Nooyi formerly at PepsiCo). The diaspora facilitates trade networks, investment pipelines, cultural connections, and technology transfer back to India.
Positive Impacts of Globalisation
on Indian Society
Globalisation has transformed India across economic, technological, cultural, social, and educational dimensions. Understanding these with specific data strengthens Mains answers significantly.
Economic Growth & GDP
India experienced substantial economic growth through the LPG model — achieving a peak GDP growth of 9.7% in FY2007–08. India has grown to become the world's 5th-largest economy (nominal GDP) and is projected to be 3rd by 2030. India is now the 4th-largest market by market capitalisation. Economic Survey 2024–25 notes India's sustained decadal growth above 6%.
Technological Progress & Innovation
Globalisation has driven significant technological advancement. India's Global Innovation Index rank improved from 81st (2015) to 38th (2025) among 139 economies. India has the world's 3rd-largest startup ecosystem (100+ unicorns). The reverse brain drain — skilled professionals returning to contribute to India's tech growth — has accelerated India's digital economy.
Remittances & Diaspora Economy
India received approximately $125 billion in remittances in 2023 — the world's highest for any country. The Indian diaspora's earnings significantly support Indian families, fund education and healthcare, and contribute to local economies particularly in Kerala, UP, Bihar, and Andhra Pradesh. Remittances act as a counter-cyclical economic stabiliser.
Cultural Access & Exposure
Television access expanded from 20% (1991) to 90% (2009), and internet penetration now covers over 55% of India's population (900+ million users). Global food chains, entertainment, travel, and digital platforms have broadened Indian mindsets and reduced stereotypes. Bollywood has gained a global market presence, with Indian films distributed in 60+ countries.
Education & International Collaboration
Globalisation has encouraged Indian-foreign university collaborations (IIT-Cornell, IISc-MIT partnerships), improved educational quality, and expanded access to international curricula and research. Indian students studying abroad — approximately 1.3 million in 2023 — bring global knowledge back. The National Education Policy 2020 explicitly embraces global academic partnerships.
Women's Empowerment
Globalisation has improved employment conditions for women — particularly in IT, BPO, retail, and services sectors — offering better wages, flexible hours, and formal employment. Female LFPR rose from 22% (2017–18) to 40% (2025). Women-led startups and corporate leadership roles have expanded significantly. The IT sector is India's largest formal employer of women.
Adverse Effects of Globalisation
on India
Understanding both sides of globalisation — benefits AND adverse effects — is essential for balanced, high-scoring UPSC Mains answers. These themes recur across multiple PYQs.
Erosion of Indigenous Crafts
Traditional weavers, artisans, and craftspeople face job losses as mass-produced imports undercut local products. Globalisation threatens traditional knowledge systems — handloom, handicrafts, folk art — that cannot compete with industrially produced alternatives at global price points.
Cultural Domination & Loss of Identity
Powerful Western cultures dominate through media, entertainment, and consumerism — marginalising local cultural identities. McDonaldisation transforms traditional eating practices; Western fashion displaces regional clothing; English increasingly dominates over regional languages in professional and digital spaces.
Growing Rural-Urban & Income Inequality
The benefits of globalisation have not been evenly distributed. The top 1% own 40.1% of national wealth (2023). The rural-urban divide has widened as cities benefit disproportionately from IT and services-led growth. Agricultural communities, tribal populations, and informal workers have been left behind.
Homogenisation of Culture
Cultural globalisation can lead to a decline in India's cultural diversity — as symbols, customs, and celebrations from dominant cultures spread. Adoption of Christmas celebrations in non-Christian communities, Valentine's Day, Halloween, and global fast-food culture represent homogenisation challenging India's pluralist traditions.
Fragmentation of the Family Unit
Migration driven by globalisation — both rural-urban domestic migration and international emigration — fragments families. The joint family system has given way to nuclear families. Children grow up with absent parents working in distant cities or countries; elderly are left without traditional support systems.
Dominance of MNCs — Walmartisation
Multinational corporations' economic dominance can be a form of "economic colonisation" — where MNC interests override national priorities. Walmartisation — large global retailers driving local businesses out through price competition — threatens India's millions of small retailers and kiranas (independent grocery stores).
Spread of Communicable Diseases
Globalisation's interconnectedness accelerates disease transmission across borders. COVID-19 (2020–22) was the defining example — travelling from Wuhan to the entire world within weeks via global travel networks. India's economy contracted 6.6% in FY2020–21 due to the pandemic. Future zoonotic diseases will similarly exploit global connectivity.
Displacement of Tribals & Consumerism
Large-scale infrastructure projects linked to globalisation (ports, highways, industrial corridors) displace tribal communities. Simultaneously, globalisation drives consumerism — changing Indian society from saving-oriented to consumption-oriented — with significant environmental consequences including increased carbon emissions and resource depletion.
The Cultural Paradox of
Globalisation in India
A key UPSC analytical insight: globalisation promotes cultural homogenisation, yet simultaneously strengthens cultural specificities in India. This paradox was directly asked in UPSC Mains 2018 and forms the basis of several Essay questions. Understanding both sides is essential.
Deglobalisation & Geoeconomic
Fragmentation — India's Response
The golden era of globalisation is giving way to a new order marked by trade wars, supply chain nationalism, and geoeconomic blocs. This is one of the most important emerging themes for UPSC Mains 2026.
Signs of Deglobalisation
IMF projects global trade growth of only 1.7% in 2025 and 2.5% in 2026 — far below the WTO's historical average of 5.8% (1995–2023). US tariffs have reached century-high levels (28% average). The global economy is fragmenting into US-centric, China-centric, and EU-centric blocs. WTO and IMF are losing influence as bilateral FTAs replace multilateral governance.
Triggers of Deglobalisation
COVID-19 pandemic (2020) exposed global supply chain vulnerabilities; Russia-Ukraine war (2022–ongoing) created a bifurcated global order; US-China tech rivalry weaponising semiconductors and AI; "Buy American" and supply chain nationalism; Brexit reshaping UK-EU trade; and the US imposing 25% tariffs on Indian imports (2025), citing trade barriers and India's Russia energy ties.
India — Challenges & Opportunities
Challenges: Export market contraction; IT sector nearshoring threat; FDI volatility; overdependence on US market ($220B bilateral trade in FY2024–25). Opportunities: China+1 strategy — multinationals diversifying from China; Apple, Samsung, Foxconn expanding India manufacturing; India as neutral alternative in fragmented world; PLI schemes; and India-UK CETA (July 2025).
| Indicator | Globalisation Era (1995–2019) | Deglobalisation Era (2020–26) |
|---|---|---|
| Global trade growth | WTO average: 5.8% per year | IMF projection: 1.7% (2025), 2.5% (2026) |
| US trade policy | WTO-rules based, low tariffs | 28% average tariff — century high (2025) |
| Global governance | WTO, IMF, World Bank strong | WTO Appellate Body broken; bilateral FTAs rising |
| Supply chains | Just-in-time global efficiency | Resilience-first; China+1 diversification |
| India's FDI | Rising FDI flows; peak $84.8B (FY22) | Volatile; renewed through PLI and FTAs |
| India's strategy | LPG, WTO compliance, open markets | Aatmanirbhar Bharat, PLI, selective FTAs |
Aatmanirbhar Bharat —
Resilient Globalisation from Strength
Aatmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) is India's strategic response to the vulnerabilities of excessive globalisation dependence — aimed at building domestic capacity while remaining globally engaged. It is not isolationism but a rebalancing towards sovereign interdependence.
PLI (Production Linked Incentive) Scheme
The cornerstone of Aatmanirbhar Bharat — ₹1.97 lakh crore ($26B) allocated across 14 critical sectors. India transformed from net importer to 2nd-largest mobile phone producer — exports projected to cross $15 billion. Pharmaceuticals (API self-reliance), EVs, semiconductors, defence, and solar manufacturing are priority sectors. PLI has attracted over ₹2.7 lakh crore in committed investments (early 2025).
Defence Indigenisation
India placed 411 defence items under an import ban list (as of 2024). Defence exports grew tenfold between 2016–17 and 2022–23, reaching ₹16,000 crore. Between 2018–22, India was the world's largest arms importer (SIPRI) — this strategic vulnerability is being rapidly corrected. Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020 targets $25B turnover including $5B exports.
Digital India as Global Export
India Stack (Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker) is being shared globally as digital public infrastructure. UPI is live in 7+ countries; India is exporting its digital governance model to Africa, Southeast Asia, and beyond. India's AI Impact Summit 2026 positions India as a thought leader in responsible AI governance — extending soft power through technological globalisation.
Strategic FTA Diversification
India signed the India-UK CETA (July 24, 2025) — granting 99% duty-free access for Indian exports to the UK. Active FTA negotiations: India-EU FTA (ongoing), India-GCC FTA (launched Feb 2026), India-Israel FTA (first round Feb 2026), India-Canada (stalled). India has 13 FTAs as of 2025 — diversifying from US market dependence.
China+1 Strategy
As multinationals diversify supply chains from China, India is positioned as the primary alternative. Apple has expanded iPhone manufacturing (Foxconn, Tata Electronics); Samsung, LG, and Foxconn have expanded India operations; Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and Micron have begun semiconductor investments. India's EoDB (Ease of Doing Business) improvements and labour reforms support this repositioning.
Global South Leadership
India's G20 Presidency (2023) and active participation in BRICS (now 10+ members), BIMSTEC, SCO, and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) position it as a bridge between the Global North and Global South. India uses its neutral strategic positioning to negotiate with both US-led and China-led blocs — maximising geoeconomic leverage in a fragmenting world.
Current Events Linked to
Globalisation — 2025–26
These events directly test themes of globalisation, deglobalisation, geoeconomic fragmentation, and India's strategic trade response — all high-priority for UPSC Mains 2026.
India and the UK signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) on July 24, 2025, after over three years of negotiations. It grants India duty-free access on 99% of its export tariff lines to the UK market — covering textiles, apparel, agriculture, marine products, chemicals, engineering goods, gems, jewellery, and footwear.
Significance: India's most significant FTA since the UAE CEPA (2022). Represents India's active trade diversification strategy in response to US tariff threats. Services provisions ease access for Indian IT, financial, and professional services, with enhanced mobility for Indian professionals. The India-EU FTA (ongoing), India-GCC FTA (launched Feb 2026), and India-Israel FTA (first round Feb 2026) reflect India's multi-track trade engagement as an alternative to overdependence on the US market.
US tariffs reached a century-high average of 28% in 2025, with a 25% tariff threatened on Indian imports (citing trade barriers and India's energy ties with Russia). India-US bilateral trade crossed $220 billion in FY2024–25. IMF projected global trade growth of only 1.7% in 2025 — versus the WTO's historical average of 5.8% (1995–2023).
India's response: PM Modi appealed for Swadeshi revival (August 2025). PLI schemes accelerated — PLI has attracted ₹2.7 lakh crore in investments across 14 sectors. India is pursuing "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" as a strategic shield — emphasising sovereignty interdependence (not autarky). BRICS summit (2025) condemned US unilateral tariffs as WTO-inconsistent. The tariff shock catalysed faster FTA negotiations and supply chain diversification.
India secured 38th position in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025 among 139 economies — up dramatically from 81st in 2015. This reflects decade-long improvements in R&D, startup ecosystem (3rd largest globally with 100+ unicorns), digital public infrastructure (UPI, Aadhaar, India Stack), and FDI attraction capacity.
Globalisation link: India's innovation-led globalisation represents a qualitative upgrade — from cost-arbitrage IT outsourcing to high-value AI, semiconductor design, and pharmaceutical R&D. The Bharti Airtel-Google partnership (October 2025) to establish India's first AI hub in Visakhapatnam (₹1,25,000 crore investment over 2026–30) exemplifies this evolution. India's digital exports and India Stack diplomacy are reshaping its globalisation model from labour-cost to innovation-based comparative advantage.
As multinationals diversify from China amid US-China trade tensions, India has emerged as the primary China+1 manufacturing alternative. Apple expanded iPhone manufacturing in India (Foxconn and Tata Electronics); Samsung and LG expanded operations; Micron Technology's $2.75 billion semiconductor plant in Gujarat received cabinet approval; SEBI's SWAGAT-FI framework (August 2025) simplified FPI onboarding.
Results: India's mobile phone exports grew 127-fold since the pre-PLI era — projected to cross $15 billion in FY2024–25. PLI has attracted over ₹2.7 lakh crore in committed investments across 14 sectors and generated 12+ lakh direct jobs. However, the risk of a US-China rapprochement (which could diminish China+1 momentum) and India's own structural challenges (logistics costs, labour regulations, land acquisition) remain significant hurdles to fully capturing the China+1 opportunity.
Measures to navigate
Globalisation effectively
Protect Cultural Heritage & Diversity
Promote India's rich cultural heritage through conservation, cultural exchange programmes, and digital preservation. India's GI (Geographical Indication) tags — for products like Darjeeling tea, Basmati rice, Kanjivaram silk — protect traditional products in global markets. Heritage conservation and intercultural dialogue are as important as economic policy.
Sustainable Development Practices
Promote green technologies, circular economy, and responsible resource management. India's Climate Action Plan (NDC) and the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) — which affects Indian exports from 2026 — require India to adopt cleaner manufacturing practices to remain competitive in globalised markets.
Protect Vulnerable Sectors
Cautious approach to sensitive sectors — India's decision not to join RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) in 2019 reflected concerns about Chinese goods flooding Indian markets and harming domestic dairy, agriculture, and manufacturing. FTAs must have sector-specific safeguard mechanisms and Rules of Origin provisions.
Encourage Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Support MSMEs, startups, and skill development for the global digital economy. Policies supporting Startup India, venture capital, and technical/vocational training aligned with global demand help India participate in globalisation from a position of competitive strength rather than dependence.
Inclusive Growth & Poverty Alleviation
Ensure globalisation's benefits reach marginalised communities through targeted social protection (PMGKAY, DAY-NRLM), JAM trinity delivery, rural infrastructure, and health/education investment. The poverty-globalisation nexus requires deliberate policy to prevent the gains from concentrating only at the top.
Champion Multilateralism & Reform
India should use its G20 leadership, BRICS, and IPEF participation to advocate for WTO reform (restoring the Appellate Body), sovereign debt resolution, and equitable global trade rules for developing nations. India's "Vishwaguru" aspiration requires active multilateral leadership, not just bilateral FTA pursuit.
UPSC Mains PYQs —
Globalisation & Indian Society
These are actual UPSC Mains questions on globalisation. All five from the source document are included — plus two additional high-value questions — with detailed approach notes.
Elucidate the relationship between globalisation and new technology in a world of scarce resources, with special reference to India. (UPSC Mains 2022)
Approach: Globalisation enables technology transfer — IT revolution (GII rank 38th, 2025); AI; clean energy. Scarce resources: globalisation intensifies competition for water, minerals, energy — but technology can decouple growth from resource use (solar, efficiency). India-specific: semiconductor diplomacy (Micron plant, Quad critical minerals); India Stack as digital export; Aatmanirbhar Bharat reducing tech dependence. Critical: AI and automation threaten India's IT cost advantage. Conclusion: technology must be managed for equity, not just efficiency.
Is diversity and pluralism in India under threat due to globalisation? Justify. (UPSC Mains 2020)
Approach: Yes threats: cultural homogenisation (McDonaldisation), English dominance, Western beauty standards, decline of traditional crafts, ghettoisation in cities. No — paradox: Bollywood global; yoga international day; Indian cuisine globally popular; diaspora promoting culture. Constitutional safeguards: secularism, Article 29/30, GI tags. Balanced conclusion: selective globalisation (absorbing positives, resisting assimilation) is the Indian model — not isolation. Link to RCEP decision and Aatmanirbhar Bharat's cultural dimension.
Are we losing our local identity for the global identity? Discuss. (UPSC 2019)
Approach: Define: local identity = language, food, dress, customs, community bonds; global identity = cosmopolitan, consumerist, digitally connected. Yes: nuclear families replacing joint families; English as aspirational language; global brands replacing local products; uniformity of cities. No: renewed pride in regional culture through globalisation (Pongal trending on Twitter, Ganesh Chaturthi going global); GI tags; Indian diaspora strengthening local identity globally. Dialectic: local and global identities are not mutually exclusive — India's "glocal" (global + local) identity is emerging. Quote: "Think globally, act locally."
"Globalisation is generally said to promote cultural homogenization but due to this cultural specificities appear to be strengthened in the Indian Society." Elucidate. (UPSC Mains 2018)
Approach: This is THE cultural paradox question. First — homogenisation: McDonaldisation, Western media, consumerism, nuclear families. Then — the counterintuitive strengthening: Bollywood globally, yoga internationally, Indian cuisine popularity, diaspora promoting regional festivals, Carnatic music on Spotify, Kollywood reaching global audiences. Theoretical: Robertson's concept of "glocalisation" — local cultures adapting global elements while retaining distinctiveness. Conclusion: globalisation acts as a mirror that shows Indians what they are at risk of losing — driving active cultural preservation movements.
To what extent globalisation has influenced the core of cultural diversity in India? Explain. (UPSC Mains 2016)
Approach: Core of cultural diversity = linguistic variety, religious pluralism, regional traditions, caste dynamics, tribal cultures. Influenced positively: exposure reduces stereotypes; cross-cultural marriages increase; digital preservation of languages; global markets for regional crafts (GI tags). Influenced negatively: English dominance threatening regional languages; tribal displacement; Westernisation of upper classes; cultural homogenisation in cities. Assessment: shallow cultural influence in metro India; resilient diversity in rural areas. Way forward: cultural policy that celebrates diversity while embracing global connections.
Is the growing of globalisation responsible for the declining sense of national identity in developing countries? (UPSC Essay 2014)
Approach: National identity = language, symbols, history, shared values, civic nationalism. Threats: MNC influence diluting cultural autonomy; global media creating cosmopolitan identities; migration fragmenting national attachments. But: nationalism often strengthens in response to globalisation's threats — Hindutva, populist nationalism globally, RCEP rejection, Aatmanirbhar Bharat. India-specific: globalisation has paradoxically strengthened Indian identity — "Brand India" (IT, yoga, Bollywood, cricket). Conclusion: globalisation does not decline national identity; it transforms it — from ethnic/cultural nationalism to civic/economic nationalism.
Probable UPSC Mains Questions
on Globalisation — 2026
Based on current events (geoeconomic fragmentation, India-UK CETA, US tariffs, Aatmanirbhar Bharat, PLI achievements), UPSC PYQ patterns, and editorial themes — these are high-probability questions for UPSC Mains 2026.
"The golden era of globalisation is giving way to geoeconomic fragmentation." In this context, critically examine the implications for India's economic growth strategy and its response through Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
Expected: 15 Marks · 250 Words · Very High Probability
Globalisation is simultaneously the greatest threat to and the greatest promoter of India's cultural identity. Critically examine this cultural paradox with specific examples from contemporary India.
Expected: 15 Marks · 250 Words · High Probability (reprised from 2018)
The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA, July 2025) has been described as India's most significant FTA since independence. Critically examine its potential benefits, risks, and strategic significance in the context of geoeconomic fragmentation.
Expected: 15 Marks · 250 Words · High Probability
India has emerged as the primary beneficiary of the global China+1 manufacturing diversification strategy. Critically examine the opportunities and structural challenges India must overcome to consolidate this position.
Expected: 15 Marks · 250 Words · High Probability
The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme has been described as "India's most important industrial policy since 1991." Critically evaluate its achievements in key sectors and the challenges that remain in realising its full potential.
Expected: 15 Marks · 250 Words · High Probability
COVID-19, the Russia-Ukraine war, and rising US protectionism have all accelerated deglobalisation. How should India navigate this new world order to sustain 8% growth needed for Viksit Bharat 2047?
Expected: 15 Marks · 250 Words · Very High Probability
Critically assess the impact of globalisation on India's linguistic diversity. Is the dominance of English in education and professional life a threat to regional languages or an opportunity for India's global integration?
Expected: 10–15 Marks · Moderate Probability
"Aatmanirbhar Bharat is not about becoming an isolated economy but about engaging with the world from a position of strength." Critically examine this claim with reference to India's trade, defence, and digital policies.
Expected: 15 Marks · 250 Words · Very High Probability
India's decision to opt out of RCEP (2019) reflects the tension between the benefits of globalisation and the need to protect domestic industry. Critically examine India's approach to trade openness in the current geoeconomic context.
Expected: 10–15 Marks · Moderate Probability
The WTO's multilateral trade governance framework is increasingly dysfunctional. In this context, critically examine India's trade strategy — balancing multilateral commitments, bilateral FTAs, and strategic autonomy.
Expected: 15 Marks · 250 Words · High Probability
FAQs — Globalisation in India
for UPSC Preparation
These questions target the most common Google searches by UPSC aspirants on this topic — each answer written for exam depth and featured-snippet eligibility.
- Economic growth — GDP growth peak of 9.7% (FY2007–08); India now the 5th-largest economy
- IT revolution — $254 billion IT-BPM revenues; 5.4 million professionals; global outsourcing hub
- Innovation — Global Innovation Index rank improved from 81st (2015) to 38th (2025)
- Remittances — $125 billion (2023) — world's highest; supports millions of families
- Women's empowerment — female LFPR rose to 40% (2025); formal IT/BPO employment
- Cultural soft power — Bollywood global; International Yoga Day (UN, 2015); Indian cuisine globally popular
- Poverty reduction — MPI fell from 29.17% (2013–14) to 11.28% (2022–23)
Want structured GS I, II & III coverage
including Globalisation?
Join Legacy IAS Regular Batch — Bangalore
Globalisation — LPG reforms, cultural paradox, deglobalisation, Aatmanirbhar Bharat, PLI schemes, India-UK CETA, and geoeconomic fragmentation — are fully covered in our GS Foundation Phase with PYQ-based discussion and mentor-guided answer writing. Limited to 40 students.
96069 00005Mon – Sat · 9 AM – 6 PM · Seats limited to 40
