Afaq Hussain is Director and Founding Member of the Bureau of Research on Industry and Economic Fundamentals (BRIEF). He is also a MAITRI Fellow (2026) at the Research centre for Integrated Transport Innovation (rCITI) at the University of New South Wales, Sydney. 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 focusing on India’s land border trade with neighbouring countries including Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. He has also co-authored NCAER-DPIIT 2025 report on ‘Assessment of Logistics Cost in India’.

Afaq has also served as a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Middle East Programs, Atlantic Council (Washington DC). His research at Atlantic Council focused on the economic dimensions of the Middle East, with a particular emphasis on the India–Middle East–Europe Corridor (IMEC). His co-authored reports on IMEC and corridor connectivity in the Middle East, at the Atlantic Council, are regarded as important contributions 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.