India, ASEAN to work on ‘mutually beneficial' FTA
A video call between commerce and industry minister
Piyush Goyal
and Malaysia's minister of investment, trade and industry (MITI) Zafrul Aziz ahead of the India-Asean post ministerial conference at the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) and Related Meetings set the tone for re-energized talks.
Earlier, in a post on X, Zafrul stated that enhancing the agreement was the focus of his discussion as the chairman of Asean Economic Ministers with Goyal.
'Malaysia, as the Asean chair for 2025, is committed to upgrading and modernizing AITIGA to reflect current realities and ensure it remains relevant and mutually beneficial. Together, let's elevate ASEAN-India economic relations to new heights,' he said.
Goyal, who had last month come under fire for calling the FTA 'silly' as it was a conduit for cheap Chinese products, also came on X to share that he had a 'productive' meeting with the Malaysian minister and 'discussed ongoing review of AITIGA and addressing its challenges therein.'
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Upto 15% Discount for Salaried Individuals
ICICI Pru Life Insurance Plan
Get Quote
Undo
In his opening remarks, minister of state for external affairs Pabitra Margherita, who is attending the post-ministerial conference at the Summit, said: 'For India, Asean is the cornerstone of its Act East Policy and the Indo-Pacific vision and India firmly supports Asean unity and Asean centrality.' He also stated, 'with support from our Asean partners, we achieved 100% implementation of the Asean-India plan of action 2021-2025.
'
'The discussions at the foreign ministers meet was constructive and in fact Asean and India have adopted the Plan of Action 2026-30. To strengthen the strategic partnership we must look at this relationship in a comprehensive manner. PM Modi himself has participated 11 times in ASEAN India summits since 2014, and this engagement as policy has got translated into trade, investment, people to people linkages and boosted the civilizational connect,' Jayant Khobragade, ambassador, India's Mission to ASEAN, Jakarta told TOI.
Tourism between the two regions has got a new momentum with 2025 being marked as the Asean-India Year of Tourism and India supporting the Tourism Work Plan 2023-2027 with $US 5 million. 'Air connectivity between Philippines and India is starting soon, and now only Laos is left in the Asean bloc,' he added.
Stay informed with the latest
business
news, updates on
bank holidays
and
public holidays
.
AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
16 minutes ago
- First Post
After 6 years, India and Nepal resume boundary talks; working group to meet on July 27-29
Boundary Working Group is the highest-level bilateral mechanism for border fieldwork between India and Nepal. The BWG handles the construction, restoration, and repair of boundary pillars and clearing no-man's land read more Nepal and India are all set to resume boundary talks on July 27–29 in New Delhi after a six-year pause, with the seventh Boundary Working Group (BWG) meeting, the highest-level bilateral mechanism for border fieldwork, set to address the resumption of technical tasks, reported Kathmandu Post, citing sources. 'The meeting has been fixed,' said Lok Bahadur Chettri, spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 'It's a regular meeting which was halted due to Covid pandemic.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The BWG handles the construction, restoration, and repair of boundary pillars and clearing no-man's land, excluding disputed areas like Susta and Kalapani. Back in 2014, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Nepal visit, both nations had agreed to establish the BWG. It was also decided that Susta and Kalapani disputes will be addressed by foreign secretaries with BWG support. Prakash Joshi, director general of Nepal's Department of Survey, will lead the Nepali delegation, joined by representatives from foreign, home, defence, law, and land management ministries, plus experts and Armed Police Force members. Last BWG meeting The previous BWG meeting took place in Dehradun, India, in August 2019. It aimed to complete border tasks by 2022, but the Covid pandemic and a subsequent Nepal-India boundary dispute stalled progress. The dispute intensified in 2019–20 after India's map included Kalapani, prompting Nepal to push for BWG resumption in every high-level meeting since the pandemic. India, citing Covid, delayed BWG meetings but later assigned border tasks to security agencies. Nepal's Armed Police Force and India's Sashastra Seema Bal manage joint patrolling, intelligence, and local meetings to protect boundary pillars. A Nepali official attending the upcoming meeting told the Post it will pick up from 2019, reviewing progress and resuming fieldwork, inspections, pillar maintenance, and new pillar installations per BWG terms. It will also conduct a cross-border inventory to identify properties held by citizens in each other's territory, using GPS to monitor and establish boundaries and pillars. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The BWG is supported by the Survey Officials' Committee and Joint Field Survey Teams for technical input.
Business Standard
16 minutes ago
- Business Standard
MyFlowerTree Reports 60% Surge in Online Rakhi Gifting Ahead of Raksha Bandhan 2025
VMPL New Delhi [India], July 22: Leading online gifting platform MyFlowerTree has reported a 60% year-over-year increase in online Raksha Bandhan gifting orders, reflecting a growing trend among Indian consumers to celebrate sibling bonds with thoughtful, timely, and long-distance-friendly gift options. With Raksha Bandhan falling on August 9th, 2025, early data from MyFlowerTree suggests that more people than ever before are choosing to send Rakhi gifts online, especially to siblings living in different cities or countries. The brand attributes this growth to a sharp rise in demand for personalized combos, same-day delivery options, and emotionally driven gifting experiences. "Raksha Bandhan is no longer just about tying a Rakhi -- it's about expressing love in creative, memorable ways," said Sumit Chhabra, Founder and CEO of MyFlowerTree. "We've seen incredible demand for curated gift combos that include Rakhis, sweets, personalized mugs, indoor plants, and even cakes. The convenience of online delivery combined with emotional storytelling is driving the shift." Top Rakhi Gifting Trends from MyFlowerTree 2025: Customized Combos Rule: Bundles featuring personalized mugs, Rakhi threads, chocolates, and greeting cards have seen a 75% surge. Pan-India Reach: Orders from tier 2 and 3 cities have doubled as families reconnect across geographies. Same-Day Deliveries Up by 85%: Express gifting is in demand as last-minute shoppers seek instant ways to surprise loved ones. Plant-Based Gifting Rising: Eco-friendly Rakhi gifts like indoor plants and seed Rakhis are trending with Gen Z shoppers. Personalized Products Dominate: Names, messages, and photos on Rakhi combos continue to gain traction. Changing Consumer Behavior As per internal insights, more than 65% of MyFlowerTree's Rakhi orders are being placed by sisters sending gifts to brothers, often accompanied by heartfelt messages or personalized notes. The platform also reported a growing interest in "Return Rakhi Gifts" -- where brothers are now sending flowers, cakes, and personalized gifts back to their sisters, redefining the tradition as a two-way celebration. Digital Gifting Becomes the New Normal The brand's seamless website and mobile platform, along with fast-tracked logistics and pan-India delivery capability, have played a crucial role in enabling meaningful, long-distance celebrations. With a presence in over 550+ cities and a wide selection of Rakhi gift combos, fresh flowers, cakes, and personalized items, MyFlowerTree continues to bridge the emotional gap between siblings -- even when miles apart. "We're not just delivering gifts -- we're delivering emotions. The rise in Rakhi orders this year is proof that people are prioritizing relationships more than ever, and we're honored to be a part of that story," added Puneet Agarwal - Category Head.
India Today
16 minutes ago
- India Today
From Agra to edge of space: Arvi Bahal to fly on Bezos' Blue Origin spaceflight
India-born businessman Arvi Bahal is all set to travel to space aboard Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin NS-34 mission. This mission is the 14th human flight under the New Shepard programme and the 34th in its history. Indian-American Bahal will travel to space as part of the six-member far, Blue Origin has flown 70 people above the Karaman line, the internationally recognised boundary of space, offering brief moments of weightlessness and a panoramic view of the Karman Line, set at an altitude of 100 kilometres above sea level, is widely recognised as the boundary between Earth's atmosphere and outer space. The live webcast on launch day will start 30 minutes before lift off, according to the US-based space technology Bahal on the flight are Turkish businessman Gkhan Erdem, meteorologist Deborah Martorell, teacher Lionel Pitchford, repeat flier JD Russell, and Justin Sun – a tech entrepreneur and the original $28 million winning bidder for the first New Shepard seat in IS ARVI BAHAL?Arvi Bahal is a real estate investor born in Agra and is now a naturalised US citizen.A lifelong traveller and adventurer, Bahal has visited every country in the world, the North and South Poles, and skydived on Mount Everest and the Pyramids of Giza. He holds a private pilot's licence and also flies helicopters, according to Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp expressed enthusiasm for the company's mission, highlighting the growing momentum of its space tourism program."Looking forward to our sixth New Shepard launch this year and welcoming back our fifth astronaut to fly twice! Proud to have this international crew as we continue opening up space to people from all backgrounds," Limp said in a post on Gopichand Thotakura was the first Indian to venture into space as a tourist as part of Blue Origin's New Shepard-25 (NS-25) ACCOMPANYING ARVI BAHAL ALSO BIG LEAGUERSGkhan Erdem is a Turkish businessman and a board member of Erdem Holding, a diverse group of companies operating in the energy, telecommunications, construction, and manufacturing of his professional responsibilities, Gkhan is a passionate space enthusiast and an avid photographer. Deeply inspired by space exploration, he dreams of one day travelling to the International Space Station and possibly even beyond, Blue Origin wrote on its third crew member's name is Deborah Martorell. She is a Puerto Rican meteorologist and journalist. Her reporting on environmental and space topics has garnered eight Emmy Awards and two Awards of Excellence in Science Reporting from the American Meteorological Society, according to Blue fourth crew member is Lionel Pitchford, an Englishman who has spent the last four decades in Spain working as a teacher, translator, and tour guide as a means to travel the world. In 1992, following a plane crash with his sister and her family onboard, Lionel founded a nonprofit in Nepal dedicated to serving disadvantaged children and girls, Blue Origin fifth member is JD Russel, an entrepreneur and founder of Alpha Funds, a technology-focused venture capital company, and Alpha Aerospace, an aerospace consulting and solutions company. He founded the Victoria Russell Foundation to honour the memory of his deceased foundation is dedicated to supporting children's education and assisting the families of first responders, Bezos's Blue Origin wrote about his Sun is the Ambassador and former Permanent Representative of Grenada to the World Trade Organisation, founder of TRON - a cryptocurrency with an associated blockchain DAO ecosystem, and advisor to HTX - one of the world's largest crypto exchanges. A protege of Alibaba's Jack Ma, Sun was featured on the cover of Forbes Magazine in April 2025, where he was recognised as one of the most dynamic and outspoken figures in crypto, earning the moniker "Crypto's Billionaire Barker" for his bold approach to innovation, advocacy, and industry leadership.- EndsMust Watch
