Abhijit Das is a leading practitioner-scholar in the field of international trade. He has more than twenty-five years of experience in various capacities, including five years in trade policymaking and international trade negotiations in the Government of India. He has held leadership positions at the UNCTAD India Programme and the Centre for WTO Studies, New Delhi. His book titled Strategies in GATT and WTO Negotiations, which has been published by Oxford University Press in 2025, uses many anecdotes to explain technically complex subjects related to international trade in a simple, lucid, and engaging manner.
He has also co-edited the following books: (i) WTO Dispute Settlement at Twenty: Insiders’ Reflections on India’s Participation; (ii) Twenty Years of India’s Trade Liberalisation: Experiences and Lessons and (iii) Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement: A framework for future trade rules? He is a regular commentator in the media on WTO and other trade matters. As an independent researcher, he advises governments and international organisations on issues related to international trade.
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Inside Global Trade Talks: What India Fights For and Why It Matters | Abhijit Das at OCLF
On 22nd Nov 2025 04.00 PM To 04:40 PM
Explore the hidden world of global trade negotiations with Abhijit Das in this insightful OCLF session, moderated by Iti Khurana. The discussion breaks down how India engages in high-stakes trade talks, why negotiation strategies matter, and how decisions made in distant rooms shape the everyday life of citizens.
Abhijit Das explains the nuances of WTO and GATT, the gap between media narratives and real negotiations, and the long-term thinking required to protect national interests. He also shares the seven-year research journey behind his book Strategies in GATT and WTO Negotiations.
This session is a powerful guide for anyone interested in economics, policymaking, global strategy, or India’s role on the world stage.
Watch to understand:
- How India negotiates in global trade forums
- Why some decisions go against popular opinion
- What actually happens inside trade negotiations
- How global trends shape national strategy