India’s engineering exports surge to $13.77 billion, Niti Aayog calls for regulation

India's engineering services exports have grown nearly eightfold in the last decade, rising from $1.77 billion in 2014-15 to $13.77 billion in 2024-25. This growth reflects a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.8%, according to Niti Aayog’s report, *India's Services Sector: Insights on Regulatory Regime in Professional Services*. Engineering services imports, however, grew only slightly, from $1.59 billion to $1.73 billion over the same period, with a CAGR of 0.9%. The report highlights the dominance of engineering in India’s technical education sector, comprising 67.2% of all technical degrees between 2015 and 2022. Despite this growth, India lacks a regulatory framework for engineers, unlike professions such as architecture and medicine, which have established codes. Niti Aayog proposes a central statutory framework for engineers in construction and infrastructure to enforce standards, ethics, and accountability, particularly for public safety. The report also suggests recognizing architects and engineers as allied professionals, drawing inspiration from Singapore’s regulatory model to clarify overlapping roles while preserving distinct responsibilities.