As the G20 Trade and Investment Working Group (TIWG) and Trade and Investment Ministerial Meeting (TIMM) events in Jaipur draw to a close on August 25, all eyes are on the outcome of the discussions, which India has described as 'productive and constructive in a congenial atmosphere'.

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Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Anant Swarup, the Joint Secretary at the Department of Commerce, provided insights from the sidelines, highlighting the key themes addressed during the sessions. The first major topic focused on making trade more inclusive, equitable, transparent, and mutually beneficial for all participants. The second crucial issue revolved around reforms for the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to bolster its robustness, inclusivity, transparency, and predictability within the global trading environment.

In the post-pandemic landscape, the significance of resilient supply chains took center stage, shifting from the "just in time" model to a "just in case" approach, as countries are looking for resilient supply chains to withstand future shocks to ensure they don't depend on one country or region for a particular product. Swarup emphasized the understanding of diverse perspectives among nations, with minimal divergence, and expressed optimism for substantial and constructive recommendations as the ministerial session concludes.

He pointed out that every country is coming up with solutions for global challenges they're facing, and said that the received suggestions will possibly in the form of a document, whose shape will be known tomorrow.

Swarup further said that $6.5 billion can be saved by digitizing bills of lading, and the discussions were also held on creating a compendium for best practices throughout the world, on which a document will be made tomorrow.

The Director-General of the WTO addressed an aid for trade initiative targeted at Least Developed Countries (LDCs), where participating nations provided their suggestions. Swarup clarified that decisions regarding visas remain the sovereign prerogative of each country and are not part of the ongoing trade discussions.