India's Engineering Services Exports Jump Eightfold in a Decade

India's engineering services exports have grown nearly eightfold over the past decade, reaching USD 13.77 billion in 2024-25 from USD 1.77 billion in 2014-15, according to a NITI Aayog report. The report, titled 'India's Services Sector: Insights on Regulatory Regime in Professional Services,' cites Reserve Bank of India data on invisibles.

The sector recorded a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.8% during this period. In contrast, imports of engineering services remained largely stable, rising from USD 1.59 billion in 2014-15 to USD 1.73 billion in 2024-25, a CAGR of just 0.9%.

Engineering remains a major employment generator in India. Between 2015 and 2022, engineering accounted for 67.2% of all technical degrees, as per the India Employment Report 2024 cited by NITI Aayog.

Despite the export surge, the report highlights the absence of a comprehensive regulatory framework for the engineering profession, unlike architecture or medicine. Several attempts to introduce an Engineers Bill have been made, but Parliament has yet to enact it.

NITI Aayog recommends establishing a central statutory framework for engineers in construction and infrastructure. Such a framework could enforce minimum standards, prescribe a code of ethics, and introduce accountability mechanisms, especially where public safety is involved.

The report also suggests recognising architects and engineers as allied professionals, drawing on Singapore's model, to provide regulatory clarity in overlapping work areas without blurring their distinct responsibilities.