Overview

• India aims to conclude the review of its 2010 goods FTA with ASEAN by the late-October ASEAN-India Summit, planning a 10th negotiation round in August in New Delhi and an 11th in October in Malaysia.
• Talks center on customs procedures, trade facilitation, technical cooperation, sanitary and phytosanitary standards, and technical barriers to trade.
• The existing pact has left India with a trade deficit of over $44 billion in 2024-25 as imports from ASEAN surged to $86 billion against $38–39 billion in exports.
• India has offered duty concessions on more than 71% of its tariff lines, outpacing key ASEAN partners such as Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand.
• Government officials describe progress as patchy after nine rounds of negotiations but express confidence in achieving significant breakthroughs in the upcoming sessions.