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AITIGA 15th Joint Committee meeting concludes in Jakarta

9 October 20261 min read
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRSAITIGA 15th JointCommittee meetingconcludes in Jakarta9 October 2026safalsetu.com

Why in the news

The 15th Joint Committee meeting on the review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) concluded on 9 October 2026 at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Key facts

  • Dates and mode: 6-9 October 2026, held in hybrid format.
  • Co-chairs: Nitin Kumar Yadav, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce (India), and Mastura Ahmad Mustafa, Deputy Secretary-General (Trade), Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (Malaysia).
  • Sub-committees: the Joint Committee has eight; three met during the session – Legal and Institutional Issues, Non-Tariff Measures and Market Access, and Rules of Origin.
  • Outcome: sub-committees were told to finish pending chapters quickly with concrete, time-bound targets.
  • Both sides backed a balanced, forward-looking and modernised agreement to boost trade.
  • Next meeting: January 2027 in India, also in hybrid mode.

About AITIGA

AITIGA is the trade in goods pact between India and the ten ASEAN members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. It was signed on 14 August 2009 in Bangkok and came into force in October 2010. India and ASEAN are now negotiating a review to update the agreement, with the Joint Committee steering the work of its sub-committees.

Exam angle

  • AITIGA signed in 2009 (Bangkok), in force from 2010.
  • 15th Joint Committee venue: ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta.
  • India’s co-chair was from the Department of Commerce; the ASEAN co-chair came from Malaysia.

Test yourself

1. Where was the 15th AITIGA Joint Committee meeting held in October 2026?

The meeting was held at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 6-9 October 2026.

2. How many sub-committees function under the AITIGA Joint Committee?

The Joint Committee has eight sub-committees; three of them met during the 15th session.

3. The ASEAN co-chair of the 15th AITIGA Joint Committee was from which country?

Mastura Ahmad Mustafa of Malaysia's Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry co-chaired the meeting.

Sources: PIB - Ministry of Commerce and Industry, MTI Singapore - AITIGA FAQs