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Straits Times
15-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
China's shadow falls between India and Asean. It shouldn't
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Amid a changing regional order, India and Asean should not fritter away the gains of the last three decades. The trajectory of incremental expansion of bilateral engagement between India and Asean now confronts some turbulence, says the writer. Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal's reported remarks last month – that some Asean member states are 'China's B team' – underscore the strategic divergence between India and Asean amid a rapidly changing regional order. Mr Goyal, who was speaking at the India Global Forum on June 19, made the comments in the context of the review of India's free trade agreement (FTA) with Asean.
New Indian Express
24-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
'Another blow to Indian diplomacy': Congress flays Centre amid ASEAN 'displeasure' over Goyal's remarks
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday slammed the government over the reported displeasure expressed by the ASEAN co-chair for the review of India FTA following Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal's 'B-Team of China' remark, and said it was "another blow" to Indian diplomacy. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared on X a media report which claimed that the ASEAN co-chair for the review of India FTA has expressed displeasure over Goyal's recent remarks, describing several countries in the region as a "B team of China." In his post on X, Ramesh said, "India has very close civilizational, cultural, economic, and political ties with the 10-nation ASEAN Group--Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. ASEAN, that came into being almost six decades back, has a combined GDP just slightly lower than that of India." The Union Commerce and Industry Minister dismisses them as the "B team of China", he said. "ASEAN now ticks him off. Indian diplomacy suffers yet another blow. This was needless," Ramesh added. Last week, speaking at the India Global Forum (IGF) session on UK-India Science, Technology and Innovation Collaboration at the Science Museum in London, Goyal had said, "There was a point of time 15 years ago when we were more focused on doing FTAs with countries who were our competitors. So if I am doing an ASEAN agreement, it really is silly because (that is) opening up my market to my competitors, many of whom have now become the B team of China." The Congress had slammed Goyal for his remarks against the India-ASEAN trade agreements, saying labelling these countries as "B team of China" is "irresponsible and insulting." In a statement, Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma had said Goyal's statement "belittling India ASEAN Trade Agreements is unwarranted, ill advised and unfortunate."
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Business Standard
23-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Asean stonewalling progress of FTA review talks with India: Official
Asean nations are stonewalling the progress of the ongoing negotiations on the review of the existing free trade agreement in goods signed in 2009, and the talks are moving "very" slowly, an official said on Monday. The review of the agreement is a long-standing demand of Indian industry and India is looking forward to an upgraded pact, which will address the current asymmetries in bilateral trade and will make trade more balanced and sustainable. "So far, nine rounds of talks have been completed. They are going very slow. Very less progress is there. Asean is stonewalling the talks," the official, who did not wish to be named, said. After the implementation of the agreement, India's exports stood at only about $ 38-39 billion annually, while imports from the 10-nation Asean bloc have jumped to $ 86 billion, the official added. Asean countries have opened less number of tariff lines or product categories for India. India has offered duty concessions on over 71 per cent of the tariff of lines to Asean countries. Asean members include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Indonesia has opened 41 per cent of its tariff lines, Vietnam 66.5 per cent and Thailand 67 per cent. "Is this a good agreement," the official wondered. The official added that the Indian industry is not at all happy with the agreement. A free trade agreement in goods between India and the 10-nation bloc ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) was signed in 2009. The ASEAN trade deal came into force in January 2010. In August 2023, both sides announced a complete review of the existing agreement in goods by 2025. ASEAN as a group is India's one of the major trade partners with about an 11 per cent share in the country's global trade. India is asking for a review to eliminate barriers and misuse of the pact. Recently speaking at the India Global Forum (IGF) session on UK-India Science, Technology and Innovation Collaboration at the Science Museum in London, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said, "There was a point of time 15 years ago when we were more focused on doing FTAs with countries who were our competitors. So if I am doing an ASEAN agreement, it really is silly because (that is) opening up my market to my competitors, many of whom have now become the B team of China". "So effectively and indirectly, I have opened up my market for goods that find their way from China into India," the commerce minister has said.
India Today
23-06-2025
- Business
- India Today
UK to attract high-skilled Indian professionals with Global Talent Visa
UK minister Patrick Vallance has called for the need to tap into high-skilled Indian professionals through the Global Talent Visa and that Britain must harness scientific and academic relationships with at the Future Frontier Forum hosted by India Global Forum in London, the UK Minister for Science, Research and Innovation, Vallance, also called for greater mobility of high-skilled professionals and the need to tap into the complementary skills of Indians across all sectors, news agency PTI British minister at the forum, also attended by Indian commerce minister Piyush Goyal, urged both India and the UK to align their innovation priorities and unlock sector-wide opportunities. "There is already a strong relationship between India and the UK, and I think it's growing," said Vallance."I believe government-to-government relationships in science do not drive everything; we must also create scientist-to-scientist relationships. Academic links and the exchange of people often drive collaborations. Start-ups in particular are becoming central to the innovation ecosystem, and we need more of them in the UK-India mix," Vallance UK government's Immigration White Paper, published in May, highlighted the Global Talent Visa route and proposed simplifying the application process for leading scientists and UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows that Indians remain the largest group of non-EU migrants, leading in both student and work visa categories, of which Indians in STEM fields are a part IS GLOBAL TALENT VISA?advertisementThe Global Talent Visa is a UK immigration pathway for individuals recognised for exceptional talent or potential in fields like science, engineering, technology, the arts, and many other UK work visas, it offers greater flexibility and lower costs, as applicants do not need a job offer or employer sponsorship to be eligible for a Global Talent Visa, applicants need to meet specific criteria and usually must secure an endorsement from one of six endorsing organisations approved by the Home Office. However, those who have received a distinguished award in their field are exempt from needing this forum was also addressed by India's Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal, earlier on the sector-wide benefits of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) struck between the two countries, as it "adds value to science and technology and innovation"."A Free Trade Agreement demonstrates to the world that the two countries are friends, allies, and plan to work together closely; they trust each other," said the number of immigrants in the UK fell between June 2023 and June 2024, Indians, the largest group of non-EU migrants to the UK.- Ends
Mint
23-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Asean stonewalling progress of FTA review talks with India: Official
New Delhi, Jun 23 (PTI) Asean nations are stonewalling the progress of the ongoing negotiations on the review of the existing free trade agreement in goods signed in 2009, and the talks are moving "very" slowly, an official said on Monday. The review of the agreement is a long-standing demand of Indian industry and India is looking forward to an upgraded pact, which will address the current asymmetries in bilateral trade and will make trade more balanced and sustainable. "So far, nine rounds of talks have been completed. They are going very slow. Very less progress is there. Asean is stonewalling the talks," the official, who did not wish to be named, said. After the implementation of the agreement, India's exports stood at only about USD 38-39 billion annually, while imports from the 10-nation Asean bloc have jumped to USD 86 billion, the official added. Asean countries have opened less number of tariff lines or product categories for India. India has offered duty concessions on over 71 per cent of the tariff of lines to Asean countries. Asean members include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Indonesia has opened 41 per cent of its tariff lines, Vietnam 66.5 per cent and Thailand 67 per cent. "Is this a good agreement," the official wondered. The official added that the Indian industry is not at all happy with the agreement. A free trade agreement in goods between India and the 10-nation bloc ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) was signed in 2009. The ASEAN trade deal came into force in January 2010. In August 2023, both sides announced a complete review of the existing agreement in goods by 2025. ASEAN as a group is India's one of the major trade partners with about an 11 per cent share in the country's global trade. India is asking for a review to eliminate barriers and misuse of the pact. Recently speaking at the India Global Forum (IGF) session on UK-India Science, Technology and Innovation Collaboration at the Science Museum in London, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said, "There was a point of time 15 years ago when we were more focused on doing FTAs with countries who were our competitors. So if I am doing an ASEAN agreement, it really is silly because (that is) opening up my market to my competitors, many of whom have now become the B team of China". "So effectively and indirectly, I have opened up my market for goods that find their way from China into India," the commerce minister has said.
