India-Asean Free Trade Agreement Review Talks Set for October in Jakarta

India and ASEAN will hold their next round of trade agreement review talks in October in Jakarta. The talks aim to enhance the effectiveness, accessibility, and trade facilitation capabilities of the India-Asean free trade agreement in goods. ASEAN is India's key trade partner, accounting for 11% of India's global trade, with bilateral trade reaching $123 billion in 2024-25. The talks also focused on improving logistics, streamlining regulatory frameworks, and exploring ways to facilitate cross-border trade.

India and ASEAN will continue their free trade agreement review talks in Jakarta in October 2025, aiming to enhance the effectiveness, accessibility, and trade facilitation capabilities of the India-Asean free trade agreement in goods (AITIGA). The move underscores the strong economic ties between the two regions, with bilateral trade reaching USD 123 billion in 2024-25, according to the Commerce Ministry [1].

The tenth round of negotiations concluded in Jakarta on August 10-14, with the Joint Committee focusing on advancing the ongoing review of AITIGA. ASEAN remains a key trade partner for India, accounting for around 11 per cent of India's global trade [1].

In addition to the AITIGA review, India and Singapore discussed trade and investment in a separate meeting on August 14. The discussions focused on identifying priority sectors for greater alignment, improving logistics and supply chains, streamlining regulatory frameworks, and exploring ways to facilitate cross-border trade. Singapore is India's largest trading partner within ASEAN, with total bilateral trade of USD 34.26 billion during 2024-25 [1].

The next AITIGA Joint Committee meeting is scheduled for October 6-7, 2025, at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, and will be hosted by Malaysia. The talks are expected to build on the progress made in previous rounds and pave the way for further cooperation between India and ASEAN.

References:
[1] https://m.economictimes.com/news/economy/foreign-trade/next-round-of-india-asean-trade-agreement-review-talks-in-october-in-jakarta/articleshow/123321442.cms