Need for Rigorous Legal Thinking

Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal, in his video address at the 9th Anniversary Celebration of Centre for Trade and Investment Law (CTIL), held at the Prime Minister’s Museum and Library in New Delhi,, said that established rules were being questioned, while emerging issues such as sustainability-linked trade measures and digital trade were reshaping the global trade agenda. He noted that rigorous legal thinking was more important than ever and that CTIL, as a leading institution in the field, was well placed to contribute to it.

He congratulated CTIL on completing nine years and noted that the Centre had earned the trust of the Government, industry and the wider trade law community through its sustained and rigorous work. He recalled CTIL’s contributions to the Department of Commerce through legal analysis and specialised support in free trade agreement negotiations, dispute settlement and institutional memory building.

India needs institutions like CTIL that do more than follow developments in international economic law and are capable of shaping them, noted Justice P. S. Narasimha, Judge, Supreme Court of India.

Justice Narasimha observed that international investment law has evolved from an initial focus on the protection of foreign investment towards greater recognition of the regulatory freedom of States.

Head, CTIL, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), and WTO India Chair, Prof. James J. Nedumpara, highlighted that CTIL was established to strengthen India’s trade capacity as a broader element of economic statecraft.

Additional Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Yashvir Singh, delivered the Special Address and highlighted CTIL’s contributions to India’s major trade engagements, including support for major free trade agreements and engagements such as the G20 and BRICS over the past several years.

Vice Chancellor, IIFT, Dr. K. Rangarajan, in his address, recalled the evolution of specialised trade-policy institutions at IIFT.

Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Smt. Kapil Chaudhary, highlighted CTIL’s expanding research in emerging areas, including critical minerals, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, supply chains, climate and sustainability. (UPDATED ON 9TH OCTOBER 2026)