We are actively involved in various public policy projects and work directly with the Government of India, State Governments and various government bodies on a number of issues. The Strategic Initiatives Team primarily focuses on public policy reformation and areas of legal research on an ongoing basis.

Some of our initiatives in this area are:

• The firm has advised the National Highway Authority of India, a government of India body, for its corridor management, road maintenance, tolling of national highway and review of draft concession and toll franchise agreements for the Jaipur-Kotputli road.

• The firm has drafted the Andhra Pradesh Infrastructure Development Enabling Act for the State of Andhra Pradesh.. This legislation is the first comprehensive legislation of its kind in India and aims to provide for a single window clearance for the private sector in state infrastructure projects. A number of state governments (including the State of Maharashtra and the State of West Bengal) have announced plans to enact similar legislations.

• The firm is currently drafting the Maharashtra Infrastructure Development Act for the State of Maharashtra in India. The legislation aims to facilitate private sector participation in infrastructure projects in the State of Maharashtra.

• Mr. Nishith Desai has been a member of the committee to draft the national level legislation for urban infrastructure appointed by the Ministry of Urban Affairs, Government of India.

• The firm has been involved in the preparation of a study for the European Commission on the Market Access Barriers in the Telecommunications sector in India.

• The firm has prepared a white paper for the Global Information Infrastructure Commission, analysing the weaknesses of the existing legal framework in the context of e-commerce. The paper examines some issues and contains suggestions for improvement in some significant legal areas.

• The firm has advised the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Information Technology, Government of India (through the Internet Service Providers Association of India) on a number of WTO related issues including on the characterization of e-commerce within the WTO framework.

• The firm has taken a major initiative to constitute an e-Com Taxpert Group comprising of renowned and eminent experts in the field of international taxation to respond to the recommendations of the high powered Committee set up by the Government of India. The membership of this committee includes leading international tax attorneys, tax experts from leading corporates and academicians.

• Mr. Nishith Desai has been a member of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) committee for the synchronization and review of the various venture capital guidelines prevalent in the country. Mr. Nishith Desai has also been a member of the J. R. Varma Employee Stock Option Committee appointed by SEBI.

• Mr. Vaibhav Parikh represented NASSCOM at the Joint WTO-World Bank Symposium on Movement of Natural Persons (Mode 4) under the GATS held in Geneva