Introduction: WTO dispute settlement at twenty: Insiders’ reflections on India’s participation

Abstract

The introductory chapter seeks to provide an overview of India’s participation in the WTO dispute settlement mechanism and places in perspective India’s overall participation and contribution to the mechanism. At the same time, this chapter examines the various political economy considerations, internal challenges, domestic contestations and the key motivations that drove India’s disputes. The introduction highlights the jurisprudential and doctrinal contributions of some of the key disputes and also examines the role of various interest groups and stakeholders in shaping India’s dispute settlement activity. Overall, this chapter provides a snapshot of India’s WTO dispute settlement activity by drawing upon the personal experiences and reflections of various authors who have participated in each of these disputes either as an official, a legal professional or an industry stakeholder.