NITI Aayog calls for regulation of engineering, legal services

Times of India reports that India's engineering services exports surged to $13.77 billion in 2024-25, up from $1.77 billion in 2014-15, a nearly eightfold increase. The NITI Aayog report behind the data also calls for a central statutory framework to regulate engineers in construction and infrastructure, citing public safety concerns.

Business Today reports that the same NITI Aayog report finds India lacks a uniform regulatory regime for professional services. For legal services, it flags the Advocates Act, 1961, which primarily recognises advocates, leaving in-house counsel and legal process outsourcing unregulated. The report suggests allowing multidisciplinary practices and updating advertising rules for lawyers.

Using the OECD Services Trade Restrictiveness Index, NITI Aayog shows India has high restrictiveness for legal (0.865) and accounting (0.762), while engineering is more open at 0.155, Business Today adds. The report notes India is not a signatory to WTO disciplines on services domestic regulation that have entered force for 56 members.