There has been an exponential growth in International Investment Agreements (IIAs), signed by countries to protect foreign investments, in the last two decades. IIAs are treaties signed at the bilateral, regional or multilateral level by two or more countries to protect investments made by investors of respective countries. IIAs protect investments by imposing conditions on the regulatory behaviour of the host state.

This briefing paper examines the broad substantive provisions of Indian IIAs and suggests how these broad provisions can be narrowed so as to allow India exercise its regulatory…

It may sound surprising to some people, but it’s true that banks are not allowed to trade in commodities in India. The banks are allowed to trade in financial instruments (such as shares, bonds and currencies) in securities market but the Banking Regulation Act of 1949 strictly prohibits banks (both domestic and foreign) from trading in goods and therefore they are not allowed to trade in commodity futures market.

The Section…