The Role Of Trade Law In Shaping Sustainable Business Practices

<b>ABSTRACT</b>This research critically examines the role of trade law in shaping sustainable business practices in India, with a focus on the intersection of international obligations, domestic legal frameworks, and corporate behavior. Drawing on doctrinal analysis of WTO agreements, free trade agreements, Indian trade policies, and corporate sustainability disclosures, the study demonstrates how trade-linked legal and policy instruments influence firms’ environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices. The analysis reveals that while trade law provisions exert normative and economic pressure on Indian businesses to adopt sustainability initiatives, significant gaps remain in policy coherence, enforceability, and sector-wide adoption. Comparative insights with global best practices highlight India’s relative underutilization of binding sustainability commitments in trade agreements, limited ESG reporting coverage, and weak stakeholder engagement in policymaking. The paper argues that a more integrated legal and policy approach—combining enforceable trade-linked sustainability provisions, broader ESG disclosure mandates, institutional coordination, and market-based incentives—can foster sustainable development while enhancing India’s global competitiveness. These findings have important implications for policymakers, managers, and scholars at the intersection of management and law, particularly as India seeks to align its trade and corporate governance regimes with global sustainability norms.<b>Keywords: </b>Trade law; Corporate governance; Free trade agreements; Business responsibility; Sustainable development.<br><br>