India must deepen ties with Asean nations, not abandon its trade agreement

Some within the government, as well as prominent voices in industry, have complained that the FTA with Asean allows for the dumping of Chinese goods in India via Southeast Asia

Indian industry, like its counterpart anywhere in the world and at any time in history, would be happy to prosper in a more protected market. This is why the voices from within industry calling on the government to abandon India’s free-trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) are so loud and persistent. The government, which is currently in the process of reviewing the agreement that came into force in 2010, should ignore these self-serving pleas. India is served best by closer integration with Asian markets, not by cutting itself off to allow for more profits behind tariff