Reliability and durability are of equal strategic importance: Bally Saboo
Badal Saboo leads Business Development for India and Asia Pacific at the New York-based World Trade Center Association (WTCA), focusing on building real estate-led commercial ecosystems that connect emerging Indian cities to global markets and working with developers, governments and industry to position World Trade Centers as strategic gateways for investment, trade and innovation across the region.
“Spread yourself across multiple markets, prove that you can hold up under pressure and become more valuable than a competitor who simply quotes a lower price,” Saboo told DH’s Mrityunjay Bose.
Q) How are geopolitics, regionalization and support of friends reshaping global trade flows?
A) Trade doesn’t move like it used to. For years, the question was simple: who can do it most cost-effectively. This is no longer the only question. Geopolitical tensions and repeated supply chain disruptions have pushed companies to source from partners they trust, not just partners who offer the best price.
Q) Please share an India perspective on MSME?
A) India benefits from this shift, and the numbers back it up: MSMEs now account for close to 45% of industrial output and 40% of exports, and manufacturing MSMEs contribute about 7 percent of India’s GDP. This is not a minor footnote in economics. But making a good product is no longer enough. MSMEs need to understand the markets they are selling into, build sustainable/ongoing business relationships and understand where they stand in supply chains that are being redrawn as we speak.
Q) Why are flexibility, diversification and market access becoming more important than cost competition alone?
A) For many years, cost was the dominant factor in insurance decisions. Today, reliability and durability are of equal strategic importance. So elasticity has become something that buyers are willing to pay for. What does this mean for an Indian MSME? If your entire business depends on one buyer or one market, you are carrying exactly the kind of risk that global supply chains are now trying to map out. Spread yourself into several markets, prove that you can stand up to pressure and become more valuable than a competitor who simply gives a lower price.
Q) Why are environment, quality, traceability and regulatory standards becoming crucial factors in global trade?
A) You can do everything right (good product, fair price, reliable delivery) and still get a suspended shipment because the durability or traceability documentation was wrong. This is increasingly becoming a reality for exporters serving regulated international markets.
I would tell every MSME to stop thinking of this as bureaucracy and start thinking of it as a ticket of entry. Businesses that skip ahead with certification and documentation aren’t just avoiding friction at customs. They are gaining access to markets where buyers are actively seeking just that kind of compatibility and where competition is shifting from price to value.
Q) What challenges do MSMEs face in identifying international opportunities and partners and what role do credible business ecosystems play?
A) Indian MSMEs are not trying to make things – they are trying to find out who wants what they do. There is a world of difference between having a good product and knowing which buyer in which country is actually looking for it.
In my experience working across India and Asia Pacific, many capable MSMEs do not fail due to product quality. They struggle because they lack access to reliable business networks, reliable market intelligence and proper introductions to overseas markets. This gap is precisely why networks like the World Trade Center Association (WTCA) exist. With over 300 World Trade Center (WTC) locations in nearly 100 countries and territories, the WTCA gives businesses a way to enter new markets with much of this uncertainty already reduced by providing access to trade services, business communities, market intelligence and potential trading partners.
