Expropriation in the context of International Investment Law is the act of confiscation, appropriation or freezing of the assets of a foreign investor by the host government in public interest. There is always a risk of such expropriation in every foreign investment. To mitigate this risk is the endeavour of every country that exports capital and to reserve the right to expropriate is the endeavour of every capital importing nation. The present work traces the origins of the International Law on Expropriation, its historical development, and current issues in the field in the context of a developing economy like India.