Introduction to Centre for Research on International Trade

Under the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) Statement 2015-20 there was a need to create an institution at the global level which can provide a counter-narrative on key trade and investment issues from the perspective of developing countries like India. To fill this vacuum a new institute namely the Centre for Research on International Trade (CRIT) was set up in 2016. The Centre for WTO Studies which is a constituent centre of CRIT, pre-dates the CRIT since it was created in 1999. The vision and the objective of the CRIT was to significantly deepen existing research capabilities and widen them to encompass new and specialised areas amidst the growing complexity of the process of globalisation and its spill-over effects in domestic policymaking.

The objectives of the Centre for Research on International Trade (CRIT) are as follows:
Creating a dedicated pool of legal experts and economists who can advise the DOC/other Govt. agencies without a risk of conflict of interest
Informing and shaping evidence-based public debate and policy making in India and other developing countries on trade policy and investment issues
Reducing the dependence of India and other developing countries on think tanks and donor agencies of developed countries for intellectual inputs into their trade policy making
Enhancing the capacity of government officers and other stakeholders in India and other developing countries to deepen their understanding of trade and investment agreements
Research on linkages between trade rules and emerging areas such as labour, climate change, technological changes, etc.
Influencing international discourse on trade and investment issues in consonance with India’s interests
Developing networks with other centres of excellence in the field of International Trade and Investment Policy More..