Event Highlights

Event Highlights

• The field visit to Manipur and Myanmar was conducted as part of the ICSSR-sponsored research project titled "The India–ASEAN Free Trade Agreement: Development Implications for the Northeast – The Look East Policy of India and Beyond."
• The visit aimed to discuss the key findings of the study with regional stakeholders, including government officials, traders, industrial representatives, and local community leaders.
• Researchers examined ground realities of cross-border trade and connectivity between India’s Northeast and Myanmar under the framework of the India–ASEAN Free Trade Agreement.
• The team interacted with officials at the Moreh border to understand challenges related to infrastructure, customs procedures, and bilateral trade facilitation.
• Meetings were held with local entrepreneurs and traders in Manipur to assess the potential for industrialization and export-oriented growth in sectors such as handicrafts, bamboo, and agro-based industries.
• In Myanmar, discussions focused on expanding trade relations, addressing logistical bottlenecks, and identifying opportunities for collaboration in agriculture, manufacturing, and small industries.
• The field study highlighted the importance of improving connectivity, particularly through the India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway, to enhance trade integration.
• Participants emphasized the need for policy support and infrastructure investment to position the Northeast as a strategic trade and industrial hub linking India with ASEAN markets.
• The visit also provided insights into border community livelihoods and the role of local trade networks in strengthening regional economic ties.
• The findings from the visit contributed to the project’s final recommendations on how trade liberalization under the India–ASEAN FTA could promote inclusive and sustainable development in the Northeast region.