India Joins East Asia Summit Economic Ministers’ Meeting

India participated in the 14th East Asia Summit Economic Ministers’ Meeting and the 23rd ASEAN-India Economic Ministers Consultation in Manila, Philippines, from 22 to 24 September 2026. The Indian delegation was led by Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Nitin Kumar Yadav, and the meetings included ASEAN members and EAS partners such as India, Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, Korea, Russia, and the United States.

East Asia Summit Economic Ministers’ Meeting

The East Asia Summit is a leaders-led forum established in 2005, and its economic ministers’ meeting is part of the wider regional economic dialogue structure. ASEAN has 11 member states, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Viet Nam.

ASEAN-India Economic Cooperation

The ASEAN-India dialogue partnership began in 1992, and the ASEAN-India Free Trade Area framework includes trade in goods, services, and investment. The ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement, or AITIGA, entered into force in 2010 and covers tariff reduction and trade facilitation provisions.

Trade, Investment and Regional Outlook

India’s bilateral trade with ASEAN reached USD 128.38 billion in 2025-26, and ASEAN accounted for 10.55% of India’s total global trade. Preliminary ASEAN statistics placed two-way trade at USD 114.1 billion in 2025, while Indian foreign direct investment inflows into ASEAN stood at USD 7.1 billion in 2025.

The ASEAN Secretariat briefed participants on the regional and global economic outlook for 2027, including trade and investment flows. The Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia presented a paper titled “Powering the EAS Region’s Next Wave of Growth: An Integrated Approach to Energy Security and Industrial Clusters.”

Important Facts for Exams

• ASEAN was founded in 1967 through the Bangkok Declaration.
• India became a sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1992 and a summit-level partner in 2002.
• AITIGA is one of India’s key trade agreements with a regional grouping in Asia.
• ERIA is a regional policy research organisation based in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Business Engagements

On 22 September 2026, the Indian delegation met Indian businesses operating in the Philippines. The delegation also took part in the ASEAN-India Business Forum 2026 on 23 September 2026.