New Delhi: The liberalisation of global trade in services should be seen by Indians as a great opportunity to provide quality services at competitive prices in the world market, Union Commerce Minister Arun Jaitley said today (Nov 1).

Jaitley also chided those who welcome freer global trade in general, but oppose liberalisation in their sectors.

"'You open every other sector but not mine' is a tendency which needs to be overcome," he told the seminar organised by a body of chartered accountants in New Delhi.

The chartered accountants have been strongly opposing the opening up of their business and India making any offer in this regard at World Trade Organisation (WTO).

He said the public discourse on the issue should rise above emotive slogans.

It was time various service providers saw the opportunities ahead of them, like the Information Technology (IT) industry, he said, adding that service sector negotiations at WTO were based on principle of reciprocity and some things needed to be given to draw larger gains.

"(Services is) one area, which provides us with greatest opportunity. As far as international trade is concerned, world will buy from where they get it cheap, whether services or goods," he said.

He said global majors were shifting their research and development base to India, as it offered best minds at cheapest prices. Jaitley stressed that it was time that people be conscious of how the Indian economy was being visualised by the outside world and said services sector was the most robust part of the economy.

PTI