Business Today reported that India’s engineering services exports grew to $13.77 billion in 2024-25, nearly eight times the $1.77 billion recorded in 2014-15. According to a Niti Aayog report, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for engineering services exports stood at 22.8% over the period, based on Reserve Bank of India data on invisibles. The report also called for a central statutory framework to regulate engineers, a profession that currently lacks a formal regulatory regime.
Exports grow at 22.8% CAGR
According to the Niti Aayog report, engineering services exports rose from $1.77 billion in 2014-15 to $13.77 billion in 2024-25, a nearly eightfold increase. The report cited Reserve Bank of India data on invisibles, which tracks trade in services and transfers. The 22.8% CAGR for exports contrasts sharply with import growth during the same period.
| Metric | 2014-15 | 2024-25 | CAGR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering services exports | $1.77 billion | $13.77 billion | 22.8% |
| Engineering services imports | $1.59 billion | $1.73 billion | 0.9% |
Imports remain nearly flat
While exports expanded rapidly, engineering services imports rose only marginally, from $1.59 billion in 2014-15 to $1.73 billion in 2024-25, according to the report. The import CAGR stood at just 0.9%. This means the gap between export and import values widened significantly over the decade, although the report did not provide a specific services subcategory breakdown.
Engineering dominates technical degrees
The report also highlighted the importance of engineering as a career in India. Between 2015 and 2022, engineering accounted for 67.2% of all technical degrees, according to the India Employment Report 2024 cited by Niti Aayog. The figure underscores the large pool of engineering graduates entering India’s workforce and services sector.
Regulatory gap for engineers
Despite the strong growth in engineering services exports, the report said India does not have a proper regulatory framework for the engineering profession. Professions such as architecture and medicine, by contrast, have such frameworks. The government and professional bodies have made several attempts to bring in a law for engineers through an Engineers Bill, but the Bill has not yet been passed by Parliament, leaving the profession largely unregulated.
Niti Aayog suggested a central statutory framework for engineers working in construction and infrastructure-related activities. The report stated:
Establishing a central statutory framework for engineers engaged in construction and infrastructure related activities could help enforce minimum standards, prescribe a code of ethics, and introduce mechanisms for accountability.
The report added that such a framework would be especially important for work linked to public safety. It could help improve structural safety, build public confidence and strengthen engineering as a profession in India.
Allied professionals and the Singapore model
The report also suggested recognising architects and engineers as allied professionals in areas where their work overlaps. Citing Singapore's regulatory model, Niti Aayog said this could allow both professionals to work in their own areas of expertise while also taking up activities where their roles overlap. At the same time, their separate professional responsibilities would remain clear.
For importers, exporters and trade policy professionals tracking India’s services trade, the export figures in the Niti Aayog report quantify the scale of engineering services as a growth category, while the regulatory proposal highlights a policy gap that the government has yet to close through Parliament. The report ties better regulation to public safety and structural safety, and links it to strengthening engineering as a profession in India.
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