Ignoring threats and warnings from World Trade Organization (WTO) personnel, India disclosed that it has toughened its stand on agriculture and industrial tariffs and asserting that development challenge of the Doha Round must be addressed.

In a letter addressed to the Trade Ministers of all member countries of the WTO on the eve of the mini-ministerial meeting in Geneva beginning tomorrow, Federal Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath wanted the upcoming meeting to address this issue.

Nath disclosed the letter in London in which he wrote “There is growing disquiet that the contours of the development dimension of this round are not yet apparent. What does development mean? Surely, it cannot means displacement of subsistence farmers and de-industrialization of developing economies.”