REVIEW OF ASEAN-INDIA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT USING REVEALED COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE INDEX

Abstract

This paper tries to evaluate India’s concerns with AIFTA (Asean India Free Trade Agreement). The main objective of the paper is to study the Revealed Comparative Advantage Index of Indian exports in relation to ASEAN Countries. The RCA index reveals that India has comparative advantage in many product categories but we have not been able to utilize our advantage and in absolute terms is reflected by widening trade deficits with ASEAN nations. So an in depth analysis has been done to analyse India’s trade with ASEAN countries and also through RCA index Industry categories have been identified where India has revealed comparative advantage. Keywords: FTA’s, Trade deficit, Free Trade Agreements, ASEAN, Revealed Comparative Advantages (RCA) JEL Classification: F31, O34, F1.