Vice President Hamid Ansari, whose last engagement in his 4-day visit to Vietnam was an Indian community reception hosted by Ambassador Ranjit Rae on Thursday afternoon, described the community as an important agent to expand the economic, commercial and technological ties with the Association of South East Asian Nations, Asean. Around 300 Indians from various backgrounds attended the reception.
Affluent travellers from India, China and South Africa are making a beeline to Malaysia and are set to become the top source markets of big spenders for the scenic country's tourism industry over the next two years.
To strengthen closer and enduring partnership with countries of Association of South East Asian Nations region as part of India's Look-East policy, President Pratibha Devisingh Patil left on Thursday for a state visit to Laos from September 9 to 13 and Cambodia from September 13 to 18.
India and China celebrated the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations on Tuesday, with leaders from both countries exchanging congratulatory messages. The anniversary comes as the two countries are working to restore ties after a four-year freeze due to the military standoff in eastern Ladakh. Both countries have expressed a willingness to enhance strategic mutual trust and step up cooperation in various fields. The two sides are also exploring ways to rebuild ties and promote people-to-people exchanges.
India is close to signing a free trade pact with the South-East Asian nations to boost exports in the face of a global economic downturn and rising protectionism, a top official said on Wednesday.
To drive home the benefits of lower manufacturing costs in India, Cummins India Ltd and Cummins Westport Inc will be exporting B Gas International natural gas engines to locations such as South America.
India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations signed an FTA in goods in August last year and are engaged in intense negotiations to expand this pact to include services and investments.
The CEPAs with South Korea and Japan are likely to be concluded in September and October, respectively. While the pact with South Korea is likely to have only a moderate impact on the economic relationship between the two countries, the one with Japan will immensely help the Indian industry in gaining market access in the world's second largest economy. Currently, bilateral trade between India and Japan, which is currently close to $4 billion.
Unmindful of China's displeasure over India's involvement with nations in its backyard, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday announced a proposal to link South East Asian nations through a highway, presumably over the sea.
The United Kingdom extracted USD 64.82 trillion from India over a century of colonialism between 1765 and 1900 and USD 33.8 trillion of this went to the richest 10 per cent -- enough money to carpet London in notes of 50 British pound almost four times over.
Besides, the company will also start assembling the SUV in two South East Asian countries -- Thailand and Indonesia.
But even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh plans to visit Tokyo for his annual summit from October 25-27 -- as part of a journey to Hanoi and Kuala Lumpur -- and hopes to sign a landmark civil nuclear pact with his counterpart, Naoto Kan, Japanese resentment against India's nuclear ambitions continues to simmer.
Government officials said the Asean FTA, as well as a similar pact with South Korea involving free trade of goods, services and investment, could be signed on the sidelines of the summit of Asean nations, scheduled in October this year. The India-South Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement is also ready for signing, sources added.
India, the country most affected by malaria in the South east Asian region, is projected to see a decrease of 50-75 per cent in malaria case incidence by 2015, a report by the World Health Organisation said.
Sources said that the Malaysian prime minister invited Ambani to invest in sectors like power, media and financial businesses.
According to a senior commerce department official, talks between India and the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) - the 10-country trading bloc - have hit a roadblock, with some of the advanced developing countries demanding greater flexibilities from India.
India on Saturday offered to help south-east Asian nations in the management of natural disasters by sharing satellite data for the region and launching small satellites built by them. "We would be ready to share satellite data for management of natural disasters, launch small satellites and scientific instruments and payloads for experiments in remote sensing and communication for space agencies and academic institutions in ASEAN countries," PM Manmohan Singh said.
India is keen to forge partnerships with ASEAN countries for the exchange of technology to enhance farm productivity and address the impact of climate change on agriculture.
The issue at hand is not ASEAN versus Chindia, but ASEAN plus Chindia. Given the strengths of ASEAN and the growing muscle of India and China, the scope for constructive cooperation is immense, he said.
Saudi Arabia will host the men's soccer World Cup in 2034 while the 2030 edition will be held in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with one-off matches in three South American countries, world soccer's governing body FIFA confirmed on Wednesday.
Meeting is on June 24-25 on stalled pact, agreement likely by year-end.
For the region to realise its full potential, New Delhi needs to start looking at the land-locked northeast as an important starting point in India's 'Act East' policy, says Nitin Gokhale
The two countries have already formed a Steering Committee to carry forward the proposals, one of which relate to setting up a 2,500-acre multi-product SEZ in the south.
"The Chinese premier underlined that whatever anybody might say, India and China are friendly neighbours and have a common view of how the world should be looked at," Naraynan said.
The statement comes a day after claims by locals that one of the bombs dropped in Mizoram's Champai district during the attack.
The mini truck and passenger vehicle, which together crossed the 1-million sales mark in August, are already present in 24 countries.
Hotel.com's latest survey lists out the top ten destinations Indians have been travelling to. Have YOU been to these places yet?
Russia continued as India's main arms supplier, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said.
In a significant move to strengthen economic ties, India and 10 Association of South East Asian nations on Tuesday decided to set up a Regional Trade and Investment Area
With East Asian countries remaining locked in a tussle over mineral-rich South China Sea, India today said the dispute should not override the interests of the region and favoured an "open, inclusive and rule-based" architecture to govern the maritime region
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday briefed United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Pakistan's investigation into the Mumbai terror attacks and the trial of suspects linked to the incident.
Bol Bachchan adds to the list of the worst official remakes in Hindi cinema.
Thailand's embattled Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Sunday clamped emergency in Bangkok and ordered tanks into the streets as he struggled to contain spiralling anti-government protests, a day after demonstrators forced the postponement of a summit between India and the Association of South East Asian Nations.
