The GRANITE Phase II project aims to foster equity and accountability in the system of economic governance in India, ensure a better economic literacy, enhance positive linkages between good economic governance & human development and generate a more coherent civil society voice on the economic governance of globalisation issues and its effects on the livelihoods of the poor, particularly women and other marginalized sections of the society.

Regarding the currently limited scope of influence the Indian civil society has to intervene on issues related to globalisation, GRANITE II marks a concerted action to expand a sustainable involvement of civil society. In the context of the National Foreign Trade Policy of India, the project seeks to adapt the policy through consultations with a larger set of stakeholders in international trade, particularly in terms of employment generation and poverty reduction, and to activate and institutionally strengthen the State WTO Cells for advocacy purposes.

GRANITE II is being implemented from July 2007 to June 2010 and follows up on the  GRANITE I and KIC GRANITE projects which were implemented from January 2005 onwards to develop the capacity and comprehensiveness of state-based civil society organisations (CSOs) related to globalisation and how it affects economic governance in India, taking into account political and social ramifications as well.

The project is supported by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD, through the Royal Norwegian Embassy, New Delhi) and Oxfam Novib (Netherlands). Project beneficiaries will include grassroots civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, business associations, policy-makers, media persons, academics and researchers.

GRANITE II is being implemented in eight Indian states in partnership with local civil society organisations working on the grassroots level. The project focuses on the five major thrust areas under the NFTP, namely agriculture, handloom & handicrafts, leather & leather products, marine products and gems & jewellery.