On Canada’s insistance, India is expected to sign a bilateral investment treaty (BIT) with Canada based on an old text, not its new model BIT. The old text contains contentious provisions such as the investor-state dispute settlement mechanism.
India was one of the most sued countries in 2015. Will the country’s new model bilateral investment treaty attract and safeguard foreign investment more effectively?
Developing countries, including India, should build capacity instead of playing the victim as the structure of international arbitration was heavily biased towards the developed countries, a top Finance Ministry official said.
India and United States will try to narrow differences on a proposed Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) next week, although an early breakthrough seems unlikely.
Reform of the international investment agreement regime has swept many countries, including Australia, South Africa, Indonesia, India and the EU, writes the Secretary-General of CUTS. What are the reasons for the growing scepticism? What lies ahead?
It is likely that the Antrix case — which could see the Government of India paying $1 billion if it loses — would have had a different outcome had the new model BIT been at issue.
India has turned its attention to comprehensive economic partnership agreements with Singapore, Japan and South Korea after having fixed the loopholes in the much-abused investment treaties with Mauritius and Cyprus.