India and ASEAN Accelerate Trade Agreement Review in New Delhi

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry of India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) convened in New Delhi from July 6 to 10, 2026, for the 13th ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) Joint Committee meeting. The sessions focused on accelerating the review and modernization of the trade agreement originally signed in 2009, aiming to better align rules of origin, market access, and customs procedures with current global supply chains.

Co-chaired by Nitin Kumar Yadav of India's Department of Commerce and Mastura Ahmad Mustafa of Malaysia's Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, the Joint Committee issued strategic guidance to various sub-committees. These groups were assigned time-bound deliverables to expedite the finalization of outstanding chapters and reduce trade barriers.

The meetings follow a period of significant economic growth, with bilateral trade between India and ASEAN reaching $128 billion during 2025-26. ASEAN currently accounts for approximately 11 percent of India's global trade, prompting the push for strengthened economic integration and updated trade facilitation measures.