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India BITs

Finance ministry to move Cabinet for clearing new BIPA text
24-Jun-2014 TOI
Ignoring protests from India’s department of industrial policy and promotion, the department of economic affairs is planning to approach the Union Cabinet for a go-ahead for the new model text for bilateral investment protection agreements (BIPAs).
BIPAs not serving India’s interest: Commerce Ministry
21-May-2014 Business Standard
Worried over frequent invocation of investment protection pacts by MNCs, the Commerce and Industry Ministry is in favour of gradually phasing them out saying that they hurt India’s interest.
Afraid of free trade
25-Apr-2014
Diplomacy in South Asia is given over to give-no-quarter bureaucrats, who cleave to a nationalism that continues to trump economics.
India, US must take tough decisions on bilateral trade: Powell
25-Apr-2014
Outgoing US Ambassador to India Nancy Powell said on Friday that the new government post elections could convene a Track 1.5 event during its first 100 days to begin a conversation on how to accomplish $500 billion in bilateral goods and services trade between the two countries.
Lessons from Vodafone tax case: Govt to rewrite BIPA to exclude taxation, intellectual property right issues
4-Mar-2014 Economic Times
India has readied a new draft to negotiate bilateral investment treaties in the future, keeping taxation and intellectual property right issues out of its ambit
India reviewing its 83 bilateral investment pacts: Anand Sharma
25-Feb-2014 PTI
The government today said it is reviewing all its bilateral investment promotion and protection pacts amid global firms raising concerns about India’s investment policies.
A BIT of a secret
22-Jan-2014 Indian Express
India’s bilateral investment treaty arbitration must be made more transparent.
Delhi government to reverse FDI in multi-brand retail
17-Jan-2014 New Indian Express
The Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government Monday said it will not allow foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, reversing the previous Sheila Dikshit regime’s policy.
Investment deal? Just watch it
2-Jan-2014 The Hindu Business Line
In the last couple of years, South Africa has become the unlikely champion of the anti-BIT movement.
India-UAE to sign bilateral investment protection agreement
9-Dec-2013 ANI
India and the UAE will next week sign an agreement to promote and protect bilateral investments.
BIT: India, US completes 3 rounds of negotiations
6-Aug-2013 PTI
India and the US have completed three rounds of negotiations for the proposed bilateral investment treaty (BIT), a pact which would help in enhancing economic ties between the countries.
India agrees to negotiate bilateral investment treaty with US
15-Jul-2013 Hindustan Times
India told the US on Friday it was ready to negotiate a Bilateral Investment Treaty, knocking down yet another irritant bedeviling business ties between the two countries.
John Kerry in India, pushes for bilateral investment treaty
25-Jun-2013 PTI
Setting the tone for the 4th round of Indo-US strategic dialogue taking place in New Delhi, US Secretary of State John Kerry pushed for a bilateral investment treaty to ’bolster’ investor confidence in India and expressed concerns over trade barriers.
UAE and India to conclude Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement soon
27-May-2013 Gulf News
The UAE and India have agreed in principle to start negotiation on Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement and conclude it at the earliest during Indian Finance Minister P.Chidamabaram’s official UAE visit yesterday, a top Indian diplomat told Gulf News yesterday.
Multinational firms look for tax shields in bilateral pacts
19-Mar-2013 Live Mint
The aggressive push by India’s tax department to increase revenue has prompted several multinational companies to informally seek the views of lawyers and consultants about invoking bilateral investment promotion and protection agreements to resist the government’s demands for more money.
What have you done to protect small traders from FDI, court asks Centre
22-Jan-2013
“Have you got any Foreign Direct Investment or it is just a political gimmick? Has the FDI policy in multibrand retail sector announced by the Centre in October 2012 brought some fruits” the Supreme Court asked Attorney-General G.E. Vahanvati on Tuesday.
BIPA talks put on hold
22-Jan-2013 The Hindu
In a significant development, the Government of India has ordered a freeze of all Bilateral Investment Protection Agreements (BIPA) negotiations till a review of the model text of BIPA is carried out and completed. This follows a spate of show cause notices on the Government by foreign companies seeking to recover their investments under the agreement.
Need to align bilateral investment treaty regime with global reality
8-Jan-2013 The Hindu
The changing dynamic of the global economy has led to a transformation in the role of developing countries as both capital importing and exporting States. There is an urgent need to redefine the global BIT regime to reflect this changing paradigm.
Investment protection clause: India can’t do a Maldives without paying a price
24-Dec-2012
Recent disputes, including the GMR-Maldives government row and the clash between foreign telecom firms Telenor, Sistema, Etisalat and Vodafone and the Indian government, have exposed India’s vulnerable position in investment agreements. While the foreign telecom companies can use a potent weapon - the ’investment protection’ clause in bilateral treaties - against India, GMR cannot do the same with Maldives.
ASEAN, India conclude FTA talks on services, investment
20-Dec-2012
The 10-member Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) concluded a long-bargained free trade agreement (FTA) with India on services and investment on Wednesday ahead of a two-day commemorative summit in New Delhi, India.