Saptarshee Mandal

The Centre for WTO Studies was set up in the year 1999 to be a permanent repository of WTO negotiations-related knowledge and documentation. It was also envisaged that the Centre would evolve into a research unit with interest in trade in general and WTO, in particular, to finally develop into an independent think tank in the area. The Centre was later situated in the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade in November 2002. Over the years, the Centre has conducted a robust research programme with a series of papers in all spheres of interest at the WTO. It is currently engaging itself in an exercise to back its research with an equally robust publication programme. The Centre has also created a specialised e-repository of important WTO documents, especially related to India, in its Trade Resource Centre. It has been regularly called upon by the Government of India to undertake research and provide independent analytical inputs to help it develop positions in its various trade negotiations, both at the WTO and other forums such as Free and Preferential Trade Agreements and Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreements. Additionally, the Centre has been actively interfacing with industry and Government units as well as other stakeholders through its Outreach and Capacity Building programmes by organizing seminars, workshops, subject-specific meetings etc. The Centre thus also acts as a platform for consensus building between stakeholders and policymakers.