India's Union Urban Development and Housing Minister Hardeep Singh Puri (Source: etemaaddaily.com)

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the ‘Delhi Dialogue” in New Delhi, Mr. Puri said the economic partnership between India and ASEAN is deepening day by day and is in a “dynamic phase.” He said the bilateral trade between ASEAN and India has surpassed the 80-billion mark, which not only shows growing confidence but also the highest figure since ASEAN and India signed the FTA in 2010.

According to Mr. Puri, the ASEAN-India region together represents a combined population of 1.85 billion, a quarter of the global population, a GDP of over 3.8 trillion USD, creating one of the largest economic spaces in the world. It paves the way for further cooperation in security, economic and socio-cultural areas across the Indo-Pacific.