Letter to BS: India needs huge investment to become a manufacturing hub

The agreement on Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and others was expected by the end of 2018 but has now been pushed till 2019. Despite reservations, India can ill-afford to be out of the RCEP which is likely to be sealed sooner than later. 

Apart from the provisions of free trade, the RCEP will try to evolve common ground in the fields of e-commerce, competition and investment. This is the right time for India to reflect on the benefits or otherwise resulting from such an agreement. Despite not having any free trade agreement with