India participated in the 23rd ASEAN-India Economic Ministers Consultation and the 14th East Asia Summit Economic Ministers Meeting held on 21 and 22 September 2026 in Manila, Philippines. The Indian delegation was led by Nitin Kumar Yadav, Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce. Bilateral trade between India and ASEAN reached $128.38 billion in 2025-26, placing the review of the goods trade pact at the centre of the talks.
What Is ASEAN?
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional group of Southeast Asian countries that works together on peace, economic growth and social progress. It was established on 8 August 1967 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration in Bangkok, Thailand. The ASEAN Secretariat, which coordinates the daily work of the group, is based in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The five founding members were Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. ASEAN now functions through three main pillars, the Political-Security Community, the Economic Community and the Socio-Cultural Community. Decisions are taken by discussion and agreement. This style is often called the ASEAN Way, which means respect for national independence, non-interference and solving issues through talks.
How Many Countries Are in ASEAN?
ASEAN has 11 member countries. Timor-Leste joined on 26 October 2025 as the eleventh member. Brunei joined in 1984, Vietnam in 1995, Laos and Myanmar in 1997, and Cambodia in 1999. All 11 members sent ministers or representatives to the Manila meetings in September 2026.
| Member | Year of Joining |
|---|---|
| Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand | 1967 (founding members) |
| Brunei | 1984 |
| Vietnam | 1995 |
| Laos, Myanmar | 1997 |
| Cambodia | 1999 |
| Timor-Leste | 2025 |
The ASEAN flag shows ten paddy stalks bound together in a circle on a blue, red, white and yellow background. The stalks stand for unity and friendship among members. Timor-Leste joined after the flag design was fixed, but the emblem continues to symbolise the same idea of togetherness.
What Happened at the Manila Meetings in September 2026?
The 14th East Asia Summit Economic Ministers Meeting was held on 21 September 2026 in Manila. It was chaired by Ma. Cristina A. Roque, Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry of the Philippines. The 23rd ASEAN-India Economic Ministers Consultation followed on 22 September 2026 in the same city. The Philippines chaired both meetings as the 2026 ASEAN Chair, under the theme Navigating Our Future, Together.
The Indian delegation was led by Nitin Kumar Yadav, Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce. Ministers or representatives from all 11 ASEAN countries took part. Partners from the wider East Asia Summit group, including Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, Korea, Russia and the United States, also joined the EAS session.
Ministers discussed the world and regional economic outlook for 2027. The ASEAN Secretariat briefed members on expected trends in trade and investment flows. The Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), a Jakarta-based research body that supports regional integration, presented a paper titled Powering the EAS Region’s Next Wave of Growth. The paper linked energy infrastructure, digital and industrial demand, and clear trade and investment rules.
On the sidelines, the Indian delegation met Indian businesses working in the Philippines on 22 September to hear problems faced in exporting goods and services. The delegation also joined the ASEAN-India Business Forum 2026 on 23 September. The ASEAN-India Business Council asked ministers to improve use of the free trade area, simplify trade steps and finish the goods pact review on time.
What Is the East Asia Summit?
The East Asia Summit (EAS) is a leaders-led forum for talks on political, security and economic issues in the Indo-Pacific region. It was started in 2005 with the first summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, under the Kuala Lumpur Declaration. ASEAN holds the central role. The ASEAN Chair each year also chairs the East Asia Summit.
The EAS began with 16 members. The United States and Russia joined at the sixth summit in Bali in 2011. After Timor-Leste joined ASEAN in October 2025, the EAS has 19 members, the 11 ASEAN states plus Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Korea, Russia and the United States.
At Manila, EAS economic ministers noted that the combined nominal GDP of EAS countries reached $69.6 trillion in 2025. ASEAN’s two-way goods trade with non-ASEAN EAS members stood at $3.07 trillion, while investment inflows from those partners into ASEAN were $83.2 billion. Ministers stressed open trade routes for goods, including energy and essential supplies. They backed the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), adopted in 2019, which calls for open, rule-based and cooperative behaviour in the region. They also underlined supply chain strength and support for a reformed World Trade Organization (WTO), the global body based in Geneva that sets trade rules.
What Is AITIGA and Why Is Its Review Important?
AITIGA stands for the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement. It was signed on 13 August 2009 in Bangkok and came into force on 1 January 2010. It sits under the broader Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation, signed in Bali in 2003. A separate Trade in Services Agreement was signed in 2014 and took effect on 1 July 2015.
AITIGA cut duties on a large share of goods traded between India and ASEAN. Both sides agreed to remove tariffs on about 75 percent of tariff lines and to lower duties on more lines in stages. Rules of origin under the pact decide which goods qualify for low duties. Exporters claim benefits using Form AI, the certificate that proves goods truly come from a member country.
India asked for a review because the pact has not worked evenly. India’s exports to ASEAN rose from $18.11 billion in 2009-10 to $38.96 billion in 2024-25, while imports from ASEAN rose from $25.8 billion to $84.16 billion in the same period. Use of tariff benefits by firms remains below 50 percent in some sectors such as chemicals and plastics. India also raised concern about goods from outside being routed through ASEAN to misuse low duties.
At Manila, India said the review must produce a balanced, effective, user-friendly and trade-friendly pact that helps business on both sides. Ministers agreed the result should fix trade gaps and build stronger supply chains. A Joint Committee with eight sub-committees is handling the talks. The 13th Joint Committee met in New Delhi from 6 to 10 July 2026 under the co-chairship of Nitin Kumar Yadav and Malaysia’s Mastura Ahmad Mustafa. Sub-committees on customs steps, market access and rules of origin were told to finish pending chapters within set timelines.
Why ASEAN Is Important for India
ASEAN is one of India’s largest trading partners. In 2025-26, two-way trade touched $128.38 billion, and ASEAN made up 10.55 percent of India’s total global trade. Preliminary ASEAN data for calendar year 2025 placed two-way trade at $114.1 billion, with Indian investment flows into ASEAN at $7.1 billion. Singapore is India’s biggest ASEAN trading partner, with trade of $34.26 billion in 2024-25.
The partnership goes beyond goods. ASEAN sits at the heart of India’s Act East Policy, which seeks closer links with Southeast Asia through trade, connectivity and culture. India also proposed starting talks on reviewing the services pact. Strong ties help India diversify supply chains for electronics, semiconductors, energy and farm goods. They also support cooperation on digital trade, logistics and small business growth.
For ASEAN, India offers a large market and a source of skilled services, medicines and technology. Closer rules on customs, standards and origin checks will cut costs for firms on both sides. That is why both sides describe the Manila talks as a step toward deeper economic integration rather than a routine annual meeting.
The Way Forward
The next test is speed. Ministers want the AITIGA talks to move from text discussions to final tariff offers. Work on energy security will also continue. The ERIA paper in Manila pushed for linked action on power grids, industrial clusters and digital demand. The ASEAN Power Grid, a plan to connect national grids across borders, was flagged as a priority for reliable and affordable power.
India will keep pressing for balance. New Delhi wants market access that matches its opening of domestic markets. It also wants simpler paperwork so small firms can actually use the pact. If the review closes on time, exporters could see clearer origin rules, faster customs clearance and fewer sudden barriers. The Manila statement on keeping trade corridors open points in that direction.
Key Takeaways
- The 23rd ASEAN-India Economic Ministers Consultation was held on 22 September 2026 in Manila, Philippines.
- The 14th East Asia Summit Economic Ministers Meeting was held on 21 September 2026 and chaired by Ma. Cristina A. Roque.
- The Indian delegation was led by Nitin Kumar Yadav, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce.
- India-ASEAN bilateral trade reached $128.38 billion in 2025-26, with ASEAN forming 10.55 percent of India’s global trade.
- AITIGA was signed on 13 August 2009 and took effect on 1 January 2010, and its review now focuses on balanced and trade-friendly rules.
- ASEAN was founded on 8 August 1967 under the Bangkok Declaration and has 11 members after Timor-Leste joined in 2025, with its Secretariat in Jakarta.
