NAME OF THE SCHOLAR: NASEER-UL-HASSAN

NAME OF THE SUPERVISOR: DR. MD. SARAFRAZ EQUBAL

DATE OF REGISTRATION: 16-11-2021

SCHOLARS UNIQUE ID :  44268-A-2010

SCHOLAR’S UNIVERSITY MAIL: naseer.ecscholar@kashmiruniversity.net

PhD TITLE: “IMPACT OF FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS AND   INSTITUTIONS ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE: EVIDENCE FROM INDIA”                                     

Abstract

This research examines the impact of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and institutional quality on India’s international trade, addressing gaps in existing literature by integrating sectoral, temporal, and institutional dimensions. The study proposes a comprehensive analysis of India’s trade competitiveness, trade creation/diversion effects, institutional influences, and untapped trade potential with its major FTA partners.

Employing the Balassa Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) index, the research evaluates India’s trade competitiveness across sectors. Gravity models are utilized to assess the trade creation and diversion effects of India’s FTAs, incorporating variables such as GDP, distance, and FTA membership. Additionally, the role of institutional quality—encompassing contract enforcement, political stability, and legal frameworks—is analysed through augmented gravity specifications. A stochastic frontier gravity model further estimates India’s unrealized trade potential by distinguishing quantifiable and institutional trade resistances.

Data spanning 2000–2021 is sourced from UN Comtrade, World Bank, and CEPII databases, covering bilateral trade flows, GDP, geographical/cultural proxies, and institutional indices. The study’s significance lies in its holistic approach to understanding how FTAs and institutions shape India’s trade dynamics, offering insights into policy design for enhancing competitiveness and leveraging regional agreements. By bridging gaps in sectoral coverage and institutional analysis, this work contributes to debates on regionalism versus multilateralism and informs strategies to optimize India’s integration into global trade networks.

 

Published papers: Still Under Review

 

Conferences attended:

  • Presented Paper on “Impact of Free Trade Agreements and Institutions on Trade Potential of India: A Stochastic Frontier Gravity Model Analysis” at 4th Annual Conference -Indian Economics & Allied Sciences Associations (27th – 29th October 2023) Hosted by Department of Economics, University of Kashmir in Collaboration with Global Economist Forum & Gujrat Economics Association.