CUTS, a Jaipur-based non-governmental think-tank, is organising a national-level event on 24-25 July titled “Towards a Coherent Trade and Development Strategy of India”. The aim is to connect relevant stakeholders to enable their participation in the formulation of coherent strategies for inclusive and equitable development and poverty reduction in the country in the context of international trade. The event will address the need for mainstreaming India’s national development strategy to make use of the beneficial role that international trade can play in enhancing development and reducing poverty. It is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the Department for International Development of UK and the Royal Norwegian Embassy, New Delhi.
The benefits of trade liberalisation on reducing poverty through economic growth have been widely documented. However, there are indications of possible negative effects of trade liberalisation on national development. As economic growth by itself does not automatically translate into overall economic prosperity and development, it is important to understand the dynamics of the linkages between trade, development and poverty reduction to initiate coherent policies both at the national and international level. A development-friendly international trade regime is needed to promote trade-development and poverty linkages in developing countries and distribute the benefits of international trade in an equitable manner.
The event will provide a forum for civil society organisations, farmer associations, business associations, media, academics, government officials, representatives from international and inter-governmental organisations, the donor community and media-persons. The opening session will include address by Anwarul Hoda, Member of the Planning Commission of India and Alok Ray, former Professor of Economics, Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta.
The thematic sessions will cover presentations by Sugata Marjit, Director and RBI Professor of Industrial Economics, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata on “Regional Trade Openness Index, Income Disparity and Poverty”, by Pramod Dev, Policy Analyst of CUTS on “Mainstreaming International Trade into the National Development Strategy of India” and by Siddhartha Mitra, Director (Research) of CUTS on “Responding to the Challenges of International Trade and Securing an Inclusive Path to Development”.
Further speakers include Pushpa Trivedi, Professor of Economics at the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai; Srikanta K. Panigrahi, Director, Indian Institute of Sustainable Development, New Delhi; Rashmi Banga, Senior Economist, UNCTAD India, and Shovan Ray, Professor of Economics, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai.
By conducting this event, CUTS aims to link relevant stakeholders to work towards the initiation of inclusive development policies. It endeavours to facilitate research, advocacy and networking activities on domestic preparedness and policy response mechanisms so that international trade works better for development and poverty reduction.
For more information, please contact:
Suprita Jayaram, +9198284 97362, sj6@cuts.org
Purnima Purohit, +9194136 78540, pp@cuts.org