CTIL Marks 9th Anniversary, Releases Trade Magazine

The Centre for Trade and Investment Law (CTIL) marked its ninth anniversary at the Prime Minister's Museum and Library in New Delhi on 7 October 2026, with two publications released and the institution's record in trade negotiations set out by speaker after speaker.

What the Commerce Secretary said

Commerce Secretary Shri Rajesh Agrawal, speaking by video, said settled rules were being questioned while new issues such as sustainability-linked trade measures and digital trade were reshaping the global trade agenda, so rigorous legal thinking mattered more than ever. He congratulated the centre on completing nine years and recalled its legal analysis and specialised support to the Department of Commerce in free trade agreement talks, dispute settlement and the building of institutional memory.

The Supreme Court judge's view

Justice P. S. Narasimha, Judge of the Supreme Court of India, said India needs institutions that can shape international economic law and not merely follow it. He traced how international investment law has moved from protecting foreign investment towards recognising the regulatory freedom of states, and said the field is entering a phase where institutionalisation, legitimacy and the balance between investment and public power weigh heavily. He called for a durable framework that holds investment protection and state regulatory authority together.

CTIL's record

Prof. James J. Nedumpara, Head of CTIL at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) and WTO India Chair, said the centre was set up to strengthen India's trade capacity as part of economic statecraft. He said CTIL has given more than 4,000 legal opinions, taken part in negotiations on nearly ten free trade agreements and contributed to WTO negotiations, submissions, notifications and dispute settlement. Additional Secretary Shri Yashvir Singh delivered the special address, pointing to CTIL's support in major trade engagements including the G20 and BRICS. IIFT Vice Chancellor Dr. K. Rangarajan traced the growth of specialised trade-policy institutions at IIFT, and Joint Secretary Smt. Kapil Chaudhary listed the centre's newer research areas, namely critical minerals, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, supply chains, climate and sustainability.

The publications

The ninth anniversary issue of the CTIL Magazine, titled The Emerging Sustainability Landscape: Responding to Shifting Winds, was released. It looks at the openings and the difficulties developing countries may meet as trade and sustainability converge. A special anniversary edition of Investment Law Compass, the centre's monthly newsletter on investment law and policy, was also launched. The proceedings closed with Distinguished Long Service Awards presented to CTIL faculty and staff.