Afaq Hussain is Director and Founding Member of the Bureau of Research on Industry and Economic Fundamentals (BRIEF). With nearly two decades of experience in policy research, he specializes in international trade and trade facilitation, regional cooperation, maritime infrastructure, and the logistics sector.

Through extensive field-level research and high-impact collaborations, Afaq has delivered successful interventions on international trade and economic development. At BRIEF, he has led multiple flagship assignments in the trade and logistics ecosystem with the Ministry of Shipping, Ports and Waterways, Ministry of Commerce, and the National Committee for Trade Facilitation, aimed at enhancing India’s trade environment and improving port efficiency. His work has also contributed significantly to regional economic cooperation in South Asia, particularly on India–Pakistan trade and Cross-Line of Control trade through Jammu & Kashmir.

In June 2025, Afaq was appointed Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the N7 Initiative, Middle East Programs, Atlantic Council (Washington DC). His research there focuses on the economic dimensions of the Middle East, with a particular emphasis on the India–Middle East–Europe Corridor (IMEC). His co-authored report on IMEC at the Atlantic Council is regarded as an important contribution to the literature on the corridor’s economic viability and operational aspects.

Afaq is also a trusted partner for international organizations such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank, and UNDP. He served as a member of the Infrastructure Connectivity vertical for India@75 at NITI Aayog, contributing to India’s long-term development agenda. An alumnus of the U.S. State Department’s International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) on ‘Smart Ports’, he brings global insights to policy, trade, and infrastructure dialogues.

His research and advisory work focus on identifying infrastructural and regulatory inefficiencies, streamlining cross-border trade processes, and advocating progressive policy reforms that strengthen regional and global trade ecosystems. Known for a hands-on, field-driven approach, Afaq’s work is rooted in on-ground research across India and abroad. He was also part of the study team for the study, ‘Assessment of Logistics Cost in India’, an important study towards creating an efficient domestic logistics ecosystem in India, by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.  

In addition to his policy work, Afaq regularly contributes opinion pieces, journal articles, and book chapters, and delivers lectures at leading universities, forums, and workshops worldwide on international trade, logistics, and infrastructure.