March 04, 2026 07:45 am (IST)
India 'concerned' over recent ASEAN talks
New Delhi, Sept 3 (IBNS): India is concerned over the recent nature of trade negotiations with other ASEAN countries and hopes that its services-intensive interests are given regard at par with manufacturing-driven rivals such as China, Indian Commerce Secretary Rajeev Kher said Wednesday.
Kher said recent talks such as those for the proposed free trade agreement between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members have not accorded due regard for India’s domestic constraints such as the development of its lumbering manufacturing sector.
“We must move together and ensure that there are no disparate movements. India’s powerful services sector can only add to the manufacturing advantage of other regional countries and increase Asia’s composite competitiveness,” Kher said.
New Delhi is in the process of rallying support for its interests and has received assurances from a ‘fair number’ of member nations, the commerce secretary told IBNS on the sidelines of a conference organised by the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) and the government here.
But differences aside, India will soon sign the ASEAN pacts on services and investments as part of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) that were supposed to be signed last week in Myanmar, Kher said.
(Reporting by Divyanshu Dutta Roy)
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Latest Headlines
Big investment alert! Bajaj Life unveils new opportunities fund — Should you jump in?
Mon, Mar 02 2026
Gold, silver surge as Middle East conflict sparks safe-haven buying
Mon, Mar 02 2026
Market panic! Sensex nosedives, Nifty tumbles as Iran–US-Israel conflict spooks investors
Mon, Mar 02 2026
Netflix shares jump 10% after quitting Warner Bros. Discovery bid
Sat, Feb 28 2026
PM Modi to flag off Micron’s Rs. 22,500 crore semiconductor facility in Sanand tomorrow. Check out all details
Fri, Feb 27 2026
'No longer financially attractive': Netflix quits Warner Bros. Discovery bid, clears path for Paramount Skydance
Fri, Feb 27 2026
Home First Finance shares tumble 6% after Rs 662 crore block deal
Thu, Feb 26 2026
