Curriculam Vitae

CURRENT STATUS

Secretary General, Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS) Secretary cum Treasurer, CUTS Institute for Regulation & Competition, Chairman, Advisory Board, South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics & Environment

Co-Chairman, International Network of Civil Society Organisations on Competition

ADDRESS

D-217 Bhaskar Marg, Bani Park, Jaipur 302 016, India

PERSONAL DATA

  • Date of birth 21st April 1948
  • Sex Male
  • Citizenship India
  • Marital Status Married, with two children
  • Wife Aruna Mehta, a former entrepreneur
  • Passport Z3545027 valid until 03-03-2026

ACADEMIC & PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

  • Higher Secondary, The Scindia School, Gwalior, India, 1965
  • B. Com, St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta, University of Calcutta, 1968
  • Course for Young Businessmen, Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad, 1973
  • L.L.B, Rajasthan University, Jaipur, 1975 [1]
  • Professional Member of the Institute of Marketing and Management, New Delhi, 1975
COMPETENCIES

Very high sense of responsibility, dedication and professionalism, with a passion for excellence and achieving goals. Reasonable analyst, and a highly skilled communicator, both oral and written. Prolific writer, educator, builder and trainer, with a track record of creating many institutions, leaders and networks.

MISSION

To bring about crucial changes in peoples’ lives and make the world a better place to live in through research, advocacy and networking on economic governance issues.

HONOURS/AWARDS

  • 2023Conferred the prestigious Business World Social Impact Award 2023.
  • 2021Conferred the SKOCH Challenger Award for his contributions to Public Policy on Competition Policy.
  • 2018Conferred Madhav Award for Distinguished Old Boy on the Founder’s day of The Scindia school
  • 2012Gold Medal from Articulately Branded and Innovated for USA (ABI-USA)
  • 20074th M. R. Pai Memorial Award for being a crusader in educating consumers on competition and regulatory issues in India and elsewhere.
  • 2006Visiting Scholar, Loyola University Law School’s Institute for Consumer Antitrust
  • 2004-06Honorary Senior Fellow, Centre for Trade & Investment, Centre for Management Studies, HCM Rajasthan State Institute for Public Administration, Jaipur
  • 2000International Diploma of Honour for Social and Consumer Activism by American Biographical Institute

MAJOR POLICY ENGAGEMENTS

INTERGOVERNMENTAL

  • 2023 Member of the Civil Society Advisory Group of WTO Director
  • 2012Member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director General’s High Level Panel on Defining the Future of Trade.
  • 2005-06Member, World Bank Operations Evaluation Department’s High Level External Advisory Panel for the Trade Assistance Evaluation
  • 2003-2004Member of the Informal NGO Advisory Body of the Director General’s World Trade Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland.
  • 2003-06Member, OECD’s Advisory Committee for Investment in Africa, OECD, Paris.
  • 2003-06Member, International Advisory Panel on Consumer Law Reform, Government of South Africa

GOVERNMENTAL

  • 2023Member of the B20’s Council for Africa’s Economic Integration under the presidency of India in the G20’s
  • 2021Member of the Noida Airport Users Consultative Committee
  • 2021Member of the Central Advisory Committee (CAC) of Central Electricity Regulatory Commission
  • 2019Member, Advisory Committee of Mopa International Airport, Goa
  • 2020Member, Chief Minister’s Rajasthan Economic Transformation Advisory Council (RETAC)
  • 2017Member, Better Regulatory Group, DIPP, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.
  • 2017Member, Technical Committee for the Scheme on “Labelling of Environment Friendly Products”, Ministry of Environment, Govt. of India
  • 2016Member, Steering Committee for the Scheme of Labelling of Environment Friendly Products, Ministry of Environment, Govt. of India
  • 2016Member of the Board of Trade, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India
  • 2016Member of the Central Advisory Committee (CAC) of Central Electricity Regulatory Commission
  • 2015Member, Official Delegation of the Government of Zambia to the WTO Ministerial Meeting at Nairobi, December, 2015
  • 2013Member of the Steering Committee under the Eco Mark Scheme of the Ministry of Environment and Forests for formulation of strategies for promotion and future development of Eco Mark Scheme
  • 2013Member, National Road Safety Council, Government of India (third time)
  • 2013Member, Official Delegation of the Government of Zambia to the WTO Ministerial Meeting at Bali, December, 2013
  • 2011Member of the Steering Committee on Industry constituted by the Planning Commission of India
  • 2011Member of Working Group on Business Regulatory Framework constituted under the Steering Committee on Industry by the Planning Commission of India
  • 2011Chairman of Task Force on National Competition Policy constituted under the Working Group on Business Regulatory Framework
  • 2011Chairman of the Working Group on Education related to Road Safety constituted under the National Road Safety Council by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
  • 2010Member of the State Advisory Committee for Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) for State of Goa & Union Territories
  • 2010Member, National Road Safety Council, Government of India (second time)
  • 2010Member, Advisory Committee of Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA)
  • 2007-09Member, Central Consumer Protection Council, Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs (fifth time)
  • 2006Member of the Central Advisory Committee (CAC) of Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC)
  • 2005-07Member, Advisory Committee on National Competition Policy to draft a Competition Policy Statement, Competition Commission of India
  • 2005Member, Official Delegation of the Government of India to the WTO Ministerial Meeting at Hong Kong, December, 2005
  • 2004-07Expert Committee on Inter-relationship between the MEAs and WTO regime, Ministry of Environment & Forests
  • 2004-09Member, Advisory Committee on Regulations, Competition Commission of India
  • 2001-03Member, National Advisory Committee on International Trade of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry (second time)
  • 2001Member, Advisory Group on World Trade and Related Issues, Ministry of External Affairs
  • 2001Member, Advisory Committee, Rajasthan State Electricity Regulatory Commission
  • 1999-01Member, National Advisory Committee on International Trade of the Ministry of Commerce and its working groups on:a) TRIPs, Trade & Environment, Transparency etc
    b) Investment Policy, Competition Policy etc
    c) Industrial Tariffs, Special and Differential Treatment

  • 1999 Member, National Codex Committee, Ministry of Health
  • 1999- Investors Forum of the Securities and Exchange Board of India
  • 1998-99 Expert Group on the Interaction between Trade & Competition Policy of the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India
  • 1998- Central Consumer Protection Council, Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs (fourth time)
  • 1997- Consultation Groups of the Ministry of Commerce:
    a) New Issues : Investment Policy and Competition Policy
    b) Trade and Environment
  • 1996-98 Member of the Board of the Life Insurance Corporation of India as a consumer representative and its Committees on: Consumer Affairs, Buildings Advisory, Real Estate Policy
  • 1996- Expert Group to Review the Laws, Regulations and Procedures in the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India
  • 1995- Think Tank of the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India
  • 1995 Member, Ministerial Committee of the Road Safety Council for drafting the National Road Safety Policy
  • 1992 Member, Committee to Evolve Mass Emission Standards for Motor Vehicles for the Years 1995 and 2000 AD, Government of India
  • 1990-97 Member, National Road Safety Council, Government of India
  • 1990-2000 Member, Technical Committee on Ecomark, Government of India and its several Technical Sub-Committees: Aerosols and Fire Extinguishers (Chairman), Textiles, Food Additives, Packaging, Electrical Appliances, Soaps & Detergents, Paper and Paper Products, Paints and Coatings, Coir Products etc.
  • 1989-97 Member, West Bengal State Consumer Protection Council, Govt of W. Bengal
  • 1988-97 Member, Central Consumer Protection Council, Government of India and its Working Groups on:
    1) Perspectives for the Consumer Movement in the 8th Plan Periodm Code of Conduct for Voluntary Organisations

    2) Steering Committee for Implementation of Recommendations of National Convention, December 1996

    3) Amendments in the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (COPRA), 1989-90

    4) Amendments in COPRA and the Monopolies & Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1969 (MRTPA), 1991-93

    5) Interaction with Trade and Industry

  • 1988-95 Member, Rajasthan State Consumer Protection Council, Government of Rajasthan

NON-GOVERNMENTAL AND PROFESSIONAL

  • 2023 Member of the B20 India Action Council on African Economic Integration: An Agenda for Global business.
  • 2023 Member of the G20 Trade & Investment Research Network (TIRN)
  • 2021-22 Nominated on a high level Environment Committee of the World Mining Congress, 2023 to be organized by the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
  • 2020-21 Member of the CII Committee on International Trade Policy and Exports
  • 2017 Member of the CII Committee on International Trade Policy and Exports
  • 2017 Member of the Rajasthan Priorities Academic Advisory Committee: India Consensus (A partnership between Tata Trusts, Copenhagen Consensus Centre).
  • 2017 Member, Board of Advisors of the Legal Aid and Awareness Committee of National Law University, Jodhpur
  • 2016 Member of the CII Committee on International Trade Policy and Exports
  • 2013 Member, Advisory Board of Centre on Global Consumer Law, Wuhan University, China
  • 2011 Member of the Executive Committee of Disha Foundation (A Resource Centre for the Disabled), Jaipur
  • 2010 Member, Advisory Board of American Antitrust Institute (AAI), Washington DC, USA
  • 2010- Member of International Advisory Council of Centre for Intellectual Property Competition, Consumer and Trade (CEPIC), School of Graduate Business Administration, University ESAN, Lima, Peru
  • 2009-10 Member of the Centre for Global Development (CGD) Working Group on Trade Preferences Reform.
  • 2007-08 Member, The Warwick Commission into the Future of the Global Trade Regime, UK
  • 2006 Member, Asian Competition Forum
  • 2006-08 Member, International Advisory Board of GARNET (Global Governance Regionalisation and Regulation; The Role of the EU), The University of Warwick, UK
  • 2005- Member, Evian Group Brains Trust, Lausanne, Switzerland
  • 2005-07 Member, CII National Committee on Infrastructure, New Delhi, India
  • 2002 Member, International Bar Association, London
  • 2002 Member, International Advisory Group, Institute for Consumer Antitrust, Loyola College, Chicago, USA
  • 2001 Member, Centre Advisory & Review Group of the Research Centre on Regulation and Competition, Institute for Development Policy and Management, Manchester University, UK
  • 1997-99 Member, Global Policy & Campaigns Committee on Economic Issues of the Consumers International, London
  • 1995-97 Co-Convenor, Global Policy & Campaigns Committee on Economic Issues of the Consumers International (formerly IOCU), London
  • 1995-2004 Member, Executive Board, International Centre for Trade & Sustainable Development, Geneva
  • 1994-97 Member, Executive Committee of the Consumer Coordination Council, New Delhi and Chairman of its Committees on Training and Formulation of Mission Statement
  • 1994-95 Member, Global Advisory Committee on Trade, International Organisation of Consumer Unions (IOCU), London
Advising governments in India and other developing countries, the UNCTAD, World Bank, OECD, WTO etc through participation in their expert group meetings and seminars on trade, development, investment and competition policy, and comment on publications in these areas.
EVENTS PARTICIPATION & ORGANISATION

Very large experience as both participant and as organiser. Have participated in over 300 seminars, conferences and workshops, and organised several. Presented papers as session speaker and as keynote speaker in many major and minor meetings all over the world. The topics ranged from investment, competition, consumer protection, trade, advocacy, fund raising and communication. Have been involved in nearly three design meetings to develop vision and mission statements and corporate strategies.

Widely travelled, having visited more than 100 countries in all the continents since 1989, while holding long-term visas for the USA, UK, France (Schengen), Singapore, Australia, Pakistan and Canada. Visited some countries more regularly on work related assignments

PUBLICATIONS

ARTICLES

Published over 3000 articles in several newspapers and magazines since 1988 on issues relating to consumerism, competition policy, and trade & economics. Have been a regular columnist for:

  1. The Economic Times on Sunday
  2. The Illustrated Weekly of India
  3. The Pioneer
  4. The Telegraph
  5. The Economic Times
  6. The Sunday Observer
  7. Hindustan Times Jaipur Live
  8. Navabharat Times (Hindi)
  9. Rajasthan Patrika (Hindi)
  10. Business Daily, Nairobi
  11. Mint Online
  12. Asian Age
  13. Deccan Herald

Currently, I am a columnist for The Financial Express, The Hindu Businessline, The Asian Age, Deccan Chronicle, The Economic Times in India, The News in Pakistan, Financial Express, Bangladesh on trade, development, governance and economic policy issues.

BOOKS AND STUDIES *

Investment & Competition Issues

  • Should Competition Policy & Law be Blind to Equity?
  • Competition and Regulation in India, 2013
  • Competition and Regulation in India, 2011
  • Did we make any difference? Reforming Competition Law Regimes in the Developing World through the 7Up Programme
  • Evolution of Competition Laws and their Enforcement: A Political Economy Perspective
  • Competition Law in India: A Toolkit,
  • Why should consumers be interested in Competition Law & Policy
  • Competition and Regulation in India, 2009
  • Competition and Regulation in India, 2007
  • Competition Regimes in the World – A Civil Society Report
  • Towards a Functional Competition Policy For India
  • Multilateral Competition Framework: In Need of a Fresh Approach
  • Multilateralisation of Sovereignty: Proposals for Multilateral Frameworks for Investments
  • Analyses of the Interaction between Trade and Competition Policy

Economic Regulatory Issues

  • Comparative Study of Regulatory Framework in Infrastructure Sector: Lessons for India
  • Creating Regulators is not the End, Key is the Regulatory Process
  • Politics Triumphs Economics? Political Economy and the Implementation of Competition Law and Regulation in Developing Countries (Volume I &II)
  • Institutional Independence in India
  • Capacity Building on Infrastructure Regulatory Issues (I and II edition)

Consumer & Social Issues

  • Using Consumer Law to Improve Governance
  • Consumer Protection Act and the Supreme Court
  • State of the Indian Consumer: Analyses of the Implementation of the UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection, 1985, in India
  • Numbers At What Cost?
  • How to Survive as A Consumer?
  • Consumer: What to do? How to do?
  • Growth and Poverty: The Great Debate

Trade and Economic Issues

  • Reflections from the Frontline: Developing Country Negotiators in the WTO
  • Why was India’s Ecomark Unsuccessful?
  • Essays on the International Trading System – An Unfinished Journey, 2004
  • Bridging the Differences: Analyses of Five issues of the WTO Agenda, 2003
  • WTO and India: An Agenda for Action in the Post Doha Scenario, 2002
  • ABC of the WTO
  • Globalisation and India: Myths and Realities
  • Trade and…Where Do We Go?
  • Environmental Conditions in International Trade
  • All About GATT – a consumers’ perspective

Several guides, monographs and briefing papers

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Memberships

  1. Jaipur Club Ltd, Jaipur
  2. India Habitat Centre, New Delhi
  3. Indian Red Cross Society, Calcutta
  4. Delhi Gymkhana Club, New Delhi

GAMES & HOBBIES

  1. Horse Polo, Billiards, Snookers, Cards
  2. Travelling, reading and collecting horsey postage stamps & statuettes, and miniature liquor bottles and musicians.

REFERENCES

Dr. Vijay Kelkar
Former Chairman Finance Commission
A-701, Srinivas Blossom Boulegaurd
421- South Main Road
Near Pingale Farms
Koregaon
Pune – 411001
Maharashtra
Phone 91-20-2556 0068/91-20-2556 0069
Email: vlkelkar@yahoo.com

Mr. Nitin Desai
Former Under-Secretary General of United Nations
B-63, Defence Colony, 1st Floor
New Delhi 110 024
Ph: 91-11-2433 7070 (Res)
Email: desaind@gmail.com

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