Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), trade association representing the interests of Indian businesses in various sectors, chiefly including engineering, manufacturing, consulting, and services. The organization was founded as the Engineering and Iron Trades Association (EITA) in 1895. It comprised mainly engineering and manufacturing firms until 1992, when it sought to broaden its membership and adopted its current name in response to moves by the Indian government to liberalize the country’s economy. Its membership now includes thousands of multinational corporations as well as small- and medium-sized businesses. CII influences government economic policies through informal advisory and consultative arrangements with government agencies and officials. It also provides consulting, public-relations, and other services and networking opportunities to its members. CII is headquartered in New Delhi and maintains regional offices throughout the country and foreign offices in several countries.
CII has undertaken policy initiatives to address issues such as climate change, corporate social responsibility, good governance, rural development, and the empowerment of women. To address bilateral issues and to promote Indian businesses abroad, CII has also established institutional partnerships with more than 200 counterpart associations in countries throughout the world.