The ASEAN-India Tourism Professionals Exchange Programme 2025 began in Guwahati, Assam. This exchange is being organized from 12 to 17 December in Guwahati, Kaziranga and New Delhi.
- The ASEAN-India Tourism Professionals Exchange Programme 2025 began in Guwahati, Assam with two days of intensive interaction between tourism professionals from India and ten ASEAN member countries.
- Organized by the Assam Tourism Development Corporation Limited (ATDC) under the aegis of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, this exchange is being held from 12 to 17 December in Guwahati, Kaziranga and New Delhi.
- This initiative builds on India’s participation at the MATTA Fair 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, where ATDC showcased Assam and the Northeast as emerging destinations under the ASEAN-India Tourism Year.
- Forty-one representatives from ASEAN are participating – Cambodia (4), Indonesia (8), Lao PDR (4), Malaysia (4), Myanmar (4), Philippines (3), Singapore (3), Thailand (4), Timor-Leste (2) and Vietnam (5).
- On 12 December, the arriving delegates reached Guwahati and boarded a sunset cruise on the Brahmaputra, which showcased Assam’s river-based tourism and community experiences along its banks.
- The Guwahati leg has set a constructive tone for the remaining sessions in Kaziranga and New Delhi, where policy consultations with the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of External Affairs and ASEAN Missions will build upon the ideas generated in Assam.
- The aim of this event is to strengthen regional tourism linkages by integrating the Northeast into the ASEAN travel circuit through business meetings, trade sessions and collaborative networks of tour operators and policymakers.
What is ASEAN?
- ASEAN was established in 1967 with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the founding members.
- The founding countries of ASEAN are: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
- In the 1990s – due to changing circumstances in the region after the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 and the end of the Cold War in 1991, membership doubled.
- Brunei (1984), Vietnam (1995), Laos and Myanmar (1997), and Cambodia (1999) were admitted.
- The motto of ASEAN is “One Vision, One Identity, One Community”.
- 08 August is celebrated as ASEAN Day.
- ASEAN Secretariat – Indonesia, Jakarta.
India–Italy Business Forum 2025
- The India–Italy Business Forum 2025 held in Mumbai strengthened bilateral trade and innovation under the strategic partnership, while further advancing resilient supply chains and high-technology cooperation.
- Signing of the agreed minutes of the 22nd India–Italy Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation, which provides a clear and structured roadmap for future bilateral cooperation.
- Italy–India Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025–2029: Announced in 2024, this action plan provides a clear roadmap for cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, cyber security, renewable energy, telecommunications, biotechnology and mobility, with the aim of achieving tangible outcomes through technology transfer, innovation and coordinated bilateral engagement.
India–Italy Economic Relations
- Italy is India’s fourth largest trading partner in the European Union, with bilateral trade reaching USD 13.76 billion in 2024–25, of which India’s exports accounted for USD 7.73 billion.
- Italy ranks 19th in terms of Foreign Direct Investment in India (2000–2025). During this period, total investment from Italy amounted to USD 3.61 billion, concentrated mainly in sectors such as automobiles, trade, machinery, services and electrical equipment.
- Trade in the services sector is continuously growing and India is emerging not only as a rapidly expanding market for Italian service exports, but also as a strong supplier of IT and professional services.
