1. ANAND SHANKAR PASWAN - Senior Research Fellow (SRF), Faculty of Commerce, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (U.P.), India.
2. Dr. S.N. JHA - Professor, Faculty of Commerce, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (U.P.), India.
Purpose: In the current global scenario, a balance and effective product composition play a decisive role in shaping a country’s economy. Whereas, BRICS nations as the regional group, has been one of the fastest-developing regional groups in the world and one of India’s reliable trading partners. Methodology: Sampling: For analysis India’s composition of Products or investigating commodities structure India’s commodities group volume was the sample country. While for assessing Trade Intensity India’s Trade with BRICS nations was the sample countries. Type of Data: This paper basically deals with secondary data collected from various authentic international sources such as ITC Trade Map, World Development Indicators (WDI), World Trade Organisation (WTO) etc. for the period of 13 years i.e., from 2008-2020 for India’s Compostion of Trade and from 2008-2021 for evaluating India’s Trade Intensity with BRICS region. Tools and Techniques: This paper empirically examined India’s structure of commodities group in which India has comparative advantages or disadvantages during the period 2008-2020 by employing Revealed Comparative Advantages (RCA). Further, this paper also investigated India’s Trade performance with the BRICS nations both at individual and aggregate levels from 2008-2021 using Trade Intensity Index (TII). Findings: The empirical finding suggests that India has comparative advantage in manufacturing and agricultural sectors, which includes Gems & Jewellery, Textiles, Leather & Allied Products, and Vegetable Products while India has comparative disadvantages in commodities groups like Wood and Articles, Electronic Goods, Pulp and Paper Board and others. While India’s trade intensity with the BRICS nations has improved decently. While at the individual level, India’s strongest partner among the BRICS nations is China with the highest trade intensity level, while India enjoys a trade surplus with Brazil in maximum years. Whereas, Russia and South Africa are India’s modest trade partners among the BRICS nations. Suggestions: This paper suggests that through lowering cost, reducing excessive tariff rates, proper management of exportable, potential, or unexploited market products exported by India to the world and to the BRICS nations can be effective for India in longer period.
Revealed Comparative Advantages (RCA), Trade Intensity Index (TII), Economic, India, BRICS, Commodity composition, International Business.