EVENTS

This Wednesday Seminar presentation examines the evolution of the China+1 strategy in the context of changing world trade dynamics, particularly highlighting how ASEAN countries have successfully leveraged the China+1 strategy in comparison with India’s relatively modest gains. It would explicate key reasons behind India’s underperformance while identifying areas of convergence with the larger geo-economic space involving Southeast Asia. The discussion on challenges would focus on process inefficacies, the fine line between demographic “dividend” and demographic “bulge”, and associated challenges pertaining to logistics and tariff structures which India needs to address. The discussion on future prospects would highlight propositions for policy makers to transform the momentum of economic growth into viable regional development strategies without isolating ourselves from Asian supply chains, which will continue to remain an important foundational template for global manufacturing.

Speaker

Joe Thomas Karackattu is Professor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. He was a Fox Fellow (2008–2009) at Yale University and CISLI Fellow with the India-China Institute at the New School, New York (2017-19). Prof Karackattu studied Economics at St. Stephen's College (Delhi) and Chinese studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (Delhi). He was awarded the "Srimathi Marti Annapurna Gurunath Award for Excellence in Teaching" in 2024 from IIT Madras, and was recipient of the "Young Faculty Recognition Award" 2020 at IIT Madras. Besides publishing two books and several journal papers, Prof Karackattu has produced two non-fiction films on India-China relations; these films have been screened in eminent universities in the United States, the United Kingdom and across Asia.

Chair

Biswajit Dhar is Development Economist and former Professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University. He was Director General of the Research and Information System for Developing Countries and played a key role in establishing and leading the Centre for WTO Studies. He has represented India in major multilateral negotiations, including the WTO, UNFCCC, WIPO, and CBD, and has served on expert groups for various international organisations. Professor Dhar has been a consultant to UNCTAD, UNESCAP, UNDP, ILO, WHO, and the South Centre, and is widely published in national and international journals. He is a regular columnist, and has served on the Board of Directors of the EXIM Bank of India, and advises several trade and IPR-focused institutions.

Please register for the lecture here