India's RCEP withdrawal & bilateral relations

Greater alignment of trade with geopolitics

India's self-confidence in new trade deals

Trade deals' impact on ordinary Indians

EU looks to India, Taiwan in the AI Age

EU-India, and a message to the US

Trump's "gun to India's head"?

Stress on defence in US-India trade deal

RCEP: Calibrated opening ongoing with China

India's new trade pacts with the EU and US, and the big question: Will Delhi revisit its decision to abandon RCEP?

Synopsis: The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests.

A flurry of trade agreements announced by India – first, a “mother of all trade deals” FTA with the European Union, and days later, a framework deal with the US that saw Washington slashing its punitive tariffs on Indian exports to levels just below that of Vietnam and Malaysia, involves wider strategic calculations on every side.

In this wide-ranging conversation, host Ravi Velloor speak to Ambassador Jawed Ashraf, Chairman of India Trade Promotion Organisation and former foreign policy aide to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who also served as envoy to Singapore and France, on the thinking behind the deals, India’s newfound confidence to sign on to market-opening agreements, and the chances of India revisiting its decision to abandon the Asean-backed RCEP, or Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

We discuss India’s trade imperatives, the tighter embrace by India of the European Union which is itself adjusting to a multipolar world, and how quality trade agreements help set the stage for foreign direct investment flows and stronger strategic ties. They also discuss the calibrated opening that India is making with China, even as it is not yet ready to revisit entering RCEP.

Highlights (click/tap above)

1:08 India withdrawal from RCEP and focus on bilateral relations

5:15 A greater alignment of trade with geopolitics

8:46 Roots of India’s “self-confidence” to sign trade deals

11:07 What the trade deals mean for ordinary Indians

14:11 EU looks to India, Taiwan in the AI age

18:14 EU-India, and a message to the US

20:53 Did Trump negotiate with a “gun to India’s head”?

24:18 Why stress on defence in US-India trade deal

27:01 RCEP: A calibrated opening is ongoing with China

Read Ravi's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP

Follow Ravi on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor

Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz 

Host: Ravi Velloor (velloor@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani

Executive producer: Ernest Luis

Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7 

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8 

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

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Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

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#STAsianInsider

India's new trade pacts with the EU and US, and the big question: Will Delhi revisit its decision to abandon RCEP?
Synopsis: The Straits Times&rsquo; senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests.
A flurry of trade agreements announced by India &ndash; first, a &ldquo;mother of all trade deals&rdquo; FTA with the European Union, and days later, a framework deal with the US that saw Washington slashing its punitive tariffs on Indian exports to levels just below that of Vietnam and Malaysia, involves wider strategic calculations on every side.
In this wide-ranging conversation, host Ravi Velloor speak to Ambassador Jawed Ashraf, Chairman of India Trade Promotion Organisation and former foreign policy aide to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who also served as envoy to Singapore and France, on the thinking behind the deals, India&rsquo;s newfound confidence to sign on to market-opening agreements, and the chances of India revisiting its decision to abandon the Asean-backed RCEP, or Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
We discuss India&rsquo;s trade imperatives, the tighter embrace by India of the European Union which is itself adjusting to a multipolar world, and how quality trade agreements help set the stage for foreign direct investment flows and stronger strategic ties. They also discuss the calibrated opening that India is making with China, even as it is not yet ready to revisit entering RCEP.
Highlights (click/tap above)
1:08 India withdrawal from RCEP and focus on bilateral relations
5:15 A greater alignment of trade with geopolitics
8:46 Roots of India&rsquo;s &ldquo;self-confidence&rdquo; to sign trade deals
11:07 What the trade deals mean for ordinary Indians
14:11 EU looks to India, Taiwan in the AI age
18:14 EU-India, and a message to the US
20:53 Did Trump negotiate with a &ldquo;gun to India&rsquo;s head&rdquo;?
24:18 Why stress on defence in US-India trade deal
27:01 RCEP: A calibrated opening is ongoing with China
Read Ravi's columns:<a href="https://str.sg/3xRP"> https://str.sg/3xRP</a>
Follow Ravi on X:<a href="https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor"> https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor</a>
Sign up for ST&rsquo;s weekly Asian Insider newsletter:<a href="https://str.sg/sfpz"> https://str.sg/sfpz</a>&nbsp;
Host: Ravi Velloor (velloor@sph.com.sg)
Produced and edited by: Fa&rsquo;izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here:
Channel:<a href="https://str.sg/JWa7"> https://str.sg/JWa7</a>&nbsp;
Apple Podcasts:<a href="https://str.sg/JWa8"> https://str.sg/JWa8</a>&nbsp;
Spotify:<a href="https://str.sg/JWaX"> https://str.sg/JWaX</a>
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
SPH Awedio app:<a href="https://www.awedio.sg"> https://www.awedio.sg</a>
---
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel:<a href="https://str.sg/wvz7"> https://str.sg/wvz7</a>
Get more updates:<a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts"> http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
The Usual Place Podcast YouTube:<a href="https://str.sg/4Vwsa"> https://str.sg/4Vwsa</a>
---
Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store:<a href="https://str.sg/icyB"> https://str.sg/icyB</a>
Google Play:<a href="https://str.sg/icyX"> https://str.sg/icyX</a>
---
#STAsianInsider

Get our uniquely Asian perspective on global issues, with ST’s correspondents from around the world.

Synopsis: Every Friday, get our distinct take on global issues with an Asian perspective, with ST’s globally-based correspondents.

Produced and edited by: Fa'izah Sani

Executive producer: Ernest Luis

A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.

Synopsis: Every Friday, get our distinct take on global issues with an Asian perspective, with ST’s globally-based correspondents.
Produced and edited by: Fa'izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.

Asian Insider

Synopsis: Every Friday, get our distinct take on global issues with an Asian perspective, with ST’s globally-based correspondents.
Produced and edited by: Fa'izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.