Promoting Sustainable and Inclusive
Growth (PROSAIG)
Ist Meeting of the Project Advisory Committee
(PAC)
Thursday, 19th May, 2011, Oslo
Pradeep S Mehta, Secretary General
1
Outline

Project: Goal, Purpose and Tools

Intended Beneficiaries

Prosaig: Overview

Prosaig I: Projects, Partners and Outcomes

Prosaig II: Proposed Projects and Partners

PAC: Role and Schedule of meetings
Project: Goal, Purpose and Tools
Goal

Rapid, inclusive and lasting growth in the Indian economy
Objective

Generation of awareness about ways and means in diverse fields for
achieving the mentioned goal so as to induce needed action by diverse
stakeholders
- Corporate social responsibility and norms for corporate governance
- Sector regulation
- Environmental standards
Tools

3
Research, awareness generation, advocacy and capacity building based on
research outputs
Intended Beneficiaries

In India
–
–
–

In Norway
–
–
–
–
4
Government, especially policy makers
Research organisations, academics and civil society organisations
working on issues relating to the Indian economy
Ultimately Consumers and Producers
Research organisations and academics
Government especially development actors and policy makers
Existing and potential Norwegian consumers
Existing and potential producers/importers of goods/services to and
from India
Overview of Prosaig
CUTS submitted a core grant proposal to Royal Norwegian Embassy (RNE): package of
proposals geared towards the promotion of sustainable and inclusive growth in the Indian
context but with a global perspective
PHASE I
1.
2.
3.
Exploring the interplay between business regulation and corporate conduct in India
A Study of Environmental Standards and their Trade Impact on Indian Textiles & Clothing
Sector
Competition and Regulation in India, 2011
PHASE II
4.
5.
6.
7.
The role of investment policy reforms in South Asia’s economic development
Trade and poverty linkages in South Asia
Political economy of regulation and competition in South Asia
Climate change, food security and trade linkages in South Asia
PHASE III
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Public transport in India
Governance and regulatory challenges in public utility services in urban areas of South Asia
Regional disparities in agriculture and rural development performance and policies -- A
comparative assessment
Examining the contribution of competition policy reforms to economic development in
developing countries: An empirical approach
Corruption in electricity and healthcare in India - Dropped
Prosaig- I
Projects and Partners
Sr.
No
6
Project Title
Duration
Norwegian Partners
1.
Exploring
the
interplay March 2011 – Norwegian Institute
between business regulation November 2012
of
International
and corporate conduct in India (20 months)
Affairs (NUPI)
(BRCC Project)
2.
Competition and Regulation in January 2011 – Norwegian School of
India, 2011 (ICRR Project, December 2012 Management (BI)
2011)
(24 months)
3.
A Study of Environmental January 2011 – National Institute for
Standards and their Trade December 2012 Consumer Research
Impact on Indian Textiles & (24 months)
(SIFO)
Clothing
Sector
(SESTI
Project)
BRCC Project

Goal
-

Purpose
-

Stimulation of government and private sector action regarding business regulation,
corporate governance and CSR
Status
-

Encourage better business behaviour to achieve sustainable development objectives
Launch meeting and 1st meeting of PRC organised in Delhi in April, 2011
Outline of the Thematic Research Report prepared and is being reviewed
02 regional dialogues to discuss the draft thematic research report: July, 2011
Future Activities
04 state level research papers on Business Regulation
02 Sectoral papers on Corporate Conduct
State level and National Policy Discourse
Capacity building of stakeholders in States
Research inputs would feed into the Planning Commission of India’s Steering
Committee on Industry: Two Working Groups on Business Regulatory Framework
-
http://www.cuts-ccier.org/BRCC/
ICRR Project, 2011

Goal
-

Purpose
-

To provide suggestions and thereby stimulate actions by governments (Central and
State) and their agencies in regard to regulatory reform
Status
–
–
–

Enhance the quality of regulation and level of competition in select sectors of the
economy
Organised 1st National Reference Group Meeting in January 2011
Authors presented the draft papers/outline during 2nd CUTS/CIRC International
Conference on Economic Regulation organised in April, 2011 in Delhi
Perception survey of relevant stakeholders have started with support of partner
organisations across India, one-to-one interviews and through internet.
Future Activities
-
-
External review and finalisation of papers by authors
Compilation and analysis of perception survey data
Organising 2nd NRG meeting to present the revised papers
http://www.cuts-ccier.org/icrr2011/
SESTI Project

Goal
-

Improving understanding of the communicative power of environmental labels
for enhancing consumer welfare and environmental sustainability
Status
-

eco-labels for enhancing environmental
Purpose
-

Promotion of optimal use of
sustainability and economic welfare
Literature review has been completed
Launch meeting in Oslo (Friday, 20th May, 2011)
Future Activities
-
-
Inventorisation of existing environmental standards for Indian T&C products
Internet and field surveys to be organised in select north european markets and
India
Preparation of Research Report
Envisaged Outcomes from PROSAIG -I

Generation of awareness among Indian stakeholders about the
requirements for inclusive growth in the Indian context

Stimulation of an integrated approach which meets the above
requirements

Enhancement of the capacity of Indian researchers to work on
developing country issues

Generation of awareness among Norwegian business, consumers
and other stakeholders about the opportunities relating to
synergistic engagement with India
DESCRIPTION OF FOUR PROJECTS
(PROSAIG - II)
Prosaig (II) : Projects/Ideas
Project I: Political Economy of Regulation and Competition
in South Asia



Two research cycles will be conducted – on energy and on transportation
Gather research-based policy lessons from various parts of the world and
analyse the political economy issues affecting effective implementation of
competition and regulatory laws
Key research questions would address issues such as
-


What are the current levels of competition in the markets
Is there support for competition policy and regulatory reforms from key
constituents? If not, why?
What are the existing political-economy and governance constraints which
come in the way of successful implementation of competition and
regulatory laws?
Countries: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka
Proposed Norwegian Partner: Norwegian School of Economics and
Business Administration (NHH) & SNF
Projects, contd…..
Project II: Climate change, Food Security and Trade Linkages in South
Asia




Analyse impact of climate change on food security at the household level in
South Asian countries
Focus on how trade policy instruments can be used to mitigate possible negative
impact of climate change on food security?
Build capacity of CSOs, government officials, etc
Proposed Norwegian Partner: National Institute for Consumer Research (SIFO)
Project III: Trade and Poverty Linkages in South Asia




Analyse value chain of a number of tradable sectors in South Asian countries
which can have significant impact on poverty.
Key research areas: importance of flanking macroeconomic policies in making
trade policy more effective; governance aspects of trade policy-making process;
trade complementarities among the South Asian countries and their spatial
dynamics, etc.
Build capacity of CSOs, trade practioners, officials of various
departments/ministries
Proposed Norwegian Partner: NUPI
Projects, contd…..
Project IV: The Role of Investment Policy Reforms in South
Asia’s Economic Development





What kind of reforms are required in South Asian countries to get people
out of agriculture (where a majority is unproductively engaged) and
engage them productively in non-agricultural sectors (including in rural
non-farm economy)?
Analyse changes required in investment policies in South Asian countries
along with other important flanking policies
Draw lessons and best practices from countries such as China and
Vietnam
Build capacity of CSOs, Government officials and community based
organisations
Proposed Norwegian Partner: NUPI
PROJECT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
ROLE AND SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS
Role of the PAC

Contribute to the implementation of the project. PAC members
will participate in discussions on both the process and content of
the project. Their contributions will be duly noted and will be
incorporated suitably into project documents.

Participate in PAC meetings alongwith project events, training
programmes, as and when convenient.

Reviewing major process decisions during the course of the
project.
PAC Meetings Schedule
2011
May
December
1st meeting to be Mid Term Meeting
organised
on
at Delhi
Thursday,
19th
May, 2011 at Oslo
2012
2013
May
May
2nd Meeting at
Oslo
End
Project
Meeting
at
Delhi/Oslo, to be
decided.
Thank You
Pradeep S. Mehta
Secretary General, CUTS
psm@cuts.org
http://www.cuts-international.org