INDIAS TRADE RELATIONS WITH SAARC - SPECIAL REFERENCE TO SAFTA

Abstract

India played a proactive role in determining the of South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) due to its economic strength. This study highlights recent trends in Indias total trade relationship with SAFTA economies in general, and with each trade bloc members particularly during the period, from 2010 to 2019.The paper employs the compound annual growth ratetechnique to find out the growth rate of Indias exports and imports. Also, a trend analysis has been made on Indias exports and imports, total tradebalance of trade with south Asian countries. The trend shows that in general both imports and exports were increasing over time except a negative export and total trade balance with Pakistan and import trade balance with Maldives. Bhutan and Bangladesh were the leading trade partners of India in south asian region. However, depending up on the economic and political conditions of the trading countries exhibit a characteristic trend unique to their own country in trading with India.