Professor Sachin Kumar Sharma Appointed New Director General of RIS

Professor Sachin Kumar Sharma has been appointed as the new Director General of the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), a New Delhi–based policy research institute under the Ministry of External Affairs. RIS is a leading forum for international economic development cooperation and South–South dialogue on trade, investment, finance, and technology. Professor Sharma succeeds Professor Sachin Chaturvedi, who has recently assumed charge as Vice-Chancellor of Nalanda University.

A press release issued by RIS stated that, with over two decades of experience in international trade policy, Professor Sharma brings a wealth of expertise in WTO negotiations, agriculture and food security, subsidies, market access, trade disputes, and South–South cooperation, anchored in sustainability and development. He has engaged extensively with governments, negotiating groups such as the G–33, African Group, Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), and the LDC Group, as well as with international organisations including the WTO, ITC, UNESCAP, South Centre, UNECA, IFPRI, and the Graduate Institute, Geneva, among others.

Professor Sharma has played a pivotal role in shaping India’s trade policy strategies. His initiatives were instrumental in invoking the Bali Peace Clause to safeguard India’s public stockholding programmes for food security against potential WTO disputes. He has been a regular member of the Indian delegation at multilateral and regional trade negotiations, contributing to the last five WTO Ministerial Conferences—Abu Dhabi (2024), Geneva (2022), Buenos Aires (2017), Nairobi (2015), and Bali (2013). He continues to serve on several working groups constituted by Indian ministries on sustainability, agricultural trade, climate change, and food security.

A prolific scholar, he has authored six books and numerous research contributions in reputed journals. His book WTO and Food Security has been widely cited and has informed debates on food security and trade rules in developing countries.

RIS warmly welcomed Professor Sharma, noting that his diverse experience in policy research, negotiations, and development cooperation is expected to further strengthen RIS’s mission of providing policy support, building partnerships, and fostering dialogue for inclusive growth, sustainable development, and deeper South–South cooperation.