Look-East Act- East policy: India and South-East Asian economic cooperation

Indian Government’s ‘Look-East’ foreign policy initiative of 1990's and renewed as Act-East in 2016, with countries bordering with the North-Eastern States of India, is a platform to cultivate and strengthen socio-economic and political ties by establishing strategic relationships with the Southeast Asian economies through bi-lateral and multilateral trade which has been neglected since 1947. The aim of Act-East policy is to build cultural, commerce, connectivity, and capacity building via trade, tourism, tradition, talent, and technology transfer between North-Eastern India and the Asian neighbours. This chapter critically evaluates measures taken by the Indian Government under this policy to enhance, business and trade opportunities with Southeast Asian countries for peace, achieving sustainable development goals and economic progress.