India’s Growing Trade Relationship within South Asia: Reflections from Trends of the Recent Past

Abstract

India is a crucial player in South Asia; its trade with neighbouring countries is the major driver of growth in the region. The study examines the role of India in expanding trade relations within the South Asian region. The goal of this study is to investigate how India’s individual relations with other countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation can enhance growth of the region. The focus is on exports, imports, trade balance, and major goods exchanged between India and individual countries, based on the latest data (2013-19). The study then analyses the hurdles that India faces in expanding trade. The discussion further dwells into potential areas wherein opportunities can be created to enhance the trade. The study concludes with a comparison between the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) and the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA), focusing on how the former can draw lessons from the latter.