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The Policy Consensus Centre (PCC), in collaboration with Empower India, hosted an insightful seminar titled, Shaping Future Digital Trade Policies: Unlocking the Potential of India-EU Relations. Highlighting the importance of reciprocal knowledge-sharing in digital governance, data protection, AI, digital payments and E-commerce regulation, the discussions underscored how the EU and India can mutually benefit by leveraging each other’s expertise in digital transformation and regulatory best practices. The event brought together key stakeholders from policy, academia, and industry to discuss the critical role of digital trade policies in fostering stronger India-EU economic relations.
Proceedings
Talking about the need for India to draft regulations keeping In mind the local realities on ground, Nirupama Soundararajan, Co-Founder & CEO, Policy Consensus Centre stated, “Regulations in the digital space can never be a simple copy-paste across borders. While localisation is essential to address specific market needs, there’s also a growing expectation for alignment on broader regulatory frameworks - whether in E-commerce, or in digital trade. The challenge is finding the right balance between adapting to local realities and ensuring interoperability at a global scale.”
K Giri, Director General, Empower India said, “A key contribution EU officials can make is educating global stakeholders on the challenges of implementing regulations. By sharing their experiences, they can foster greater understanding, collaboration and more effective policymaking worldwide.”
The panel discussion, featuring esteemed experts, delved into critical topics such as digital market regulations, data governance and the role of AI in shaping trade policies. Dr. Avik Sarkar, Senior Research Fellow & Visiting Faculty, Indian School of Business, called for extensive policy research stating, “While India has mirrored GDPR, many other regulatory aspects require deeper, long-term research. It takes 5-10-years of academic and policy study to truly understand the landscape -especially in areas like crypto, where investor profiles and real-world implications must be thoroughly examined. In Europe, data privacy is a widely understood and discussed issue among leaders and citizens alike. In India, however, awareness remains limited beyond certain policy circles. This highlights a critical gap - not just in digital literacy but in the broader digital divide - making education and awareness essential for meaningful policy implementation.”
Speaking at the seminar, Sana Khan, Principal Associate, Induslaw, spoke about the need for awareness building noting, “Most individuals have no visibility into how their personal data is processed or why it matters. The impact may seem invisible at first, but what may appear to start as harmless targeted advertising, can snowball into a life shaped by data-driven decisions beyond their control. From phone numbers to photos, every detail feeds into a system where multiple data fiduciaries regulate and influence choices - often without the individual’s awareness. Therefore, raising digital awareness and making users aware the of implications of data sharing is the first step toward meaningful change”
The seminar also delved into what the EU could learn from India, particularly with regard to the regulation of AI in Fintech and with regard to using self regulatory organisations (SROs) as an effective regulatory tool.
The event concluded with an open discussion, allowing participants to exchange views on the most pressing challenges and opportunities in digital trade. As India and the EU deepen their digital trade partnerships, forums such as these play a crucial role in shaping future-ready policies that enhance global competitiveness.