Commerce Ministry Consults Six Major Thai Corporations in India, Backs Green Economy and Supply Chain Cooperation

The Ministry of Commerce, Suphajee Suthumpun (ศุภจี สุธรรมพันธุ์) has held discussions with six major Thai corporations operating in India—Thai Oil, GPSC, SCG, CPF, CP Group, and Shera—together with directors of Thai Trade Centers in Mumbai, New Delhi, and Chennai. The meeting aimed to gather direct feedback on business opportunities and challenges in the Indian market and to shape government support in line with real market conditions.

All Thai companies agreed India remains a high-potential market, driven by a rapidly expanding middle class of around 500 million people, expected to rise to 800–900 million by 2035. This growth creates strong opportunities for Thai products and services, especially in food, petrochemicals, construction materials, and innovation-based industries.

However, a major challenge identified was certification under the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which involves strict and complex procedures that can delay supply chain integration. The Ministry of Commerce will coordinate with relevant Indian agencies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Thai commercial diplomats to improve mutual understanding and facilitate smoother production and trade linkages.

The Ministry emphasized that trade and investment with India must be based on balanced and mutually beneficial partnerships throughout the value chain, enabling businesses in both countries to adapt to each other’s regulations, standards, and policy directions in the long term.

High-potential sectors include construction and real estate, particularly green building materials, which support India’s environmental and quality-of-life goals. During this mission, 17 Thai companies joined business-matching activities, creating 271 business pairs with an estimated trade value of 100 million baht within one year, with strong growth prospects in green components and eco-friendly construction materials.

Thai Trade Centers in India also presented their annual promotion plans, covering SME and agricultural exports, online sales channels, startup networks, trade missions, exhibitions, Top Thai Brands events, and concrete support for Thai investment in India.

India is Thailand’s fourth-largest export market. During the first 11 months of the previous year, bilateral trade reached over USD 20 billion, growing more than 28 percent year-on-year, reflecting strong momentum in Thailand–India economic cooperation and continued confidence in the long-term partnership between the two countries.