6 yrs of hardtalk later, India will sign Asean FTA today.

Ending six years of complex negotiations and overcoming political resistance from within, some as late as last month, India is set to sign the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in goods on Thursday with the region’s biggest 10-nation trade bloc, the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, here to sign the agreement — on the first day of the five-day 14th meeting of ASEAN’s trade and commerce Ministers — told The Indian Express that the concerns of southern states, particularly Kerala, have been addressed in the FTA.

“The criticism was because of inadequate information and misinformed speculation. We met MPs and the Prime Minister himself met the Kerala Chief Minister to iron out differences. The agreement will now throw open new opportunities for Indian industry and exporters as well as for ASEAN so that they can all engage with each other,” Sharma said.