New Delhi, Jan 31 (IANS) The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) is playing an important role in shaping future leaders and further strengthening India’s presence in the global trading landscape, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, said on Saturday.

IIFT has been ranked first in the ‘Times B-School Ranking 2026’, reaffirming its position as a premier institution in management education with a distinctive focus on international trade and global business.

Goyal described the achievement as a testament to IIFT’s sustained efforts in empowering students with skills, vision and critical capabilities.

Commerce Secretary and Chancellor of IIFT, Rajesh Agrawal, said the institute’s progress reflects its strong academic foundation, expanding global orientation and commitment to excellence.

“IIFT supports India’s aspiration to emerge as a global powerhouse in international trade and contributes to the vision of Viksit Bharat by nurturing globally competent management professionals aligned with national trade, economic and strategic priorities,” he emphasised.

Established in 1963, the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade is a deemed-to-be-university under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

As a premier institution in international trade and business, IIFT offers flagship MBA programmes, executive education and doctoral research, contributing to India’s growth in global commerce and trade policy.

The Institute has campuses at Delhi, Kolkata, Kakinada and GIFT City, and is in the process of commencing its first offshore campus in Dubai.

Professor Rakesh Mohan Joshi, Vice Chancellor, IIFT, thanked Goyal and Agrawal, for their vision and unwavering support and expressed his commitment to achieve excellence in management education in the area of international business by enhancing its academic rigor, policy relevance, industry engagement, and international outreach; integrating present day contemporary realities to its teaching, research and operations and make it a world-class institute.

In September last year, IIFT inaugurated the International Trade Negotiations Programme for officials of the Department of Commerce. Organised by IIFT’s Centre for International Negotiations, the programme is designed to strengthen the negotiation skills of government officials and bolster India’s global trade engagement.

–IANS

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