International Seminar On India's Look-East Policy and the North Eastern Region
- February 26 & 27, 2013 -

International Seminar
On
India’s Look-East Policy and the North Eastern Region: Strengthening the Continental Route
to be organized by ICSSR-NERC,
at Shillong, during February 26 & 27, 2013

The Concept Note

India’s Look-East Policy has yielded a rich dividend. India-ASEAN trade has increased from US$ 7billion in 2000 to US$ 58 billion in 2011. India-ASEAN trade constitutes about 9 per cent of India’s total global trade. Indian investments in ASEAN as well as ASEAN investments in India have also registered a significant growth. The Free Trade Agreement between India and ASEAN as well as India and the ASEAN member countries have created an enabling environment for the smooth development of multilateral as well as bilateral economic cooperation. Thus, Look-East Policy has proved to be a win win situation for both India and ASEAN.

But India-ASEAN trade mainly flows through sea routes. As a result coastal states like Tamilnadu Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal are the principal beneficiaries and Look-East Policy has propelled growth in them. The continental route to ASEAN that passes through India’s North East has failed to attract the attention of the trading entities. As a result, in spite of having land border with the ASEAN, the states in India’s North East have failed to reap any dividend. In fact, Look-East Policy has bypassed the India’s North East.

One of the objectives of this proposed seminar is to investigate as to why trade and businesses prefer the sea route rather than the continental route while doing business with ASEAN. What is the cost difference for exporting and importing goods in these two routes? What kind of trade facilitation measures can reduce trade friction in case of the continental route?

The seminar also intends to study the composition of India-ASEAN trade in order to suggest the policy measures that will facilitate the changes in the production structure of the North Eastern Region in conformity with the demand structure of ASEAN which will lay a strong basis for trade between the region and the ASEAN.

The proposed seminar also seeks to assess the views of the ASEAN economic agents in relation to their prospects of economic engagement with the North Eastern Region.

It also aspires to investigate the nature of incentives that the federal and the state governments can device in order to transform the North eastern Region into a hub of economic activities.

Besides pure economic issues, the seminar also aims at dealing with institutional measures that need to be put in place for accelerating economic growth in the region.

The seminar will have the following panels:
1. India’s Look-East Policy: Successes and Failures
2. India-ASEAN Trade: Sea Vs Continental Routes
3. India-ASEAN Trade: Compositions and Trends
4. India-ASEAN: Trade and Investment Cooperation
5. Look-East Policy and India’s North East
6. Production Structure in North East and Demand Structure in ASEAN: How to Build the Basis for Trade
7. North East India and ASEAN: Connectivity, Transit and Trade Facilitation Measures

Date of the Seminar: 26th and 27th February 2013

Last Date for submission of Abstract: 1st December 2012 to: seminarlep(at)gmail(dot)com

Last Date for submission of Full paper (selected): 30th January 2013

For Details:

The Coordinator
International Seminar on Look East Policy & the NE Region:
Strengthening the Continental Route”
ICSSR-NERC,
NEHU Campus, Shillong 793 022
Meghalaya, INDIA
Email: seminarlep(at)gmail(dot)com