The government’s focus on identifying high-value export sectors to high-income countries and on reducing the trade deficit appears to have achieved moderate success. Certainly the data for April showing the merchandise and services trade deficit at a 21-month low and the headline exports figure for FY23 appear to vindicate this strategy. But a closer look at the disaggregated data as well as a more long-term perspective suggests that India is far from having a successful strategy for economic growth and integration, the top edit argues here