The proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Bangladesh and India could open up significant new avenues for trade, investment, and economic cooperation, according to India’s leading industry body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
The remarks were made during an interaction in New Delhi with a delegation of Bangladeshi journalists at the CII headquarters.
The organisation’s Senior Vice President (International Business) Pankaj Tandon said the proposed agreement goes far beyond traditional trade in goods and is expected to include services, investment facilitation, technology exchange and skills development.
He said the current stage of Bangladesh-India relations is crucial for shaping a stronger and more diversified economic partnership that supports Bangladesh’s long-term growth and competitiveness.
Pankaj Tandon also noted strong alignment between Bangladesh’s “Bangladesh First” strategy and India’s development experience.
According to him, the “Bangladesh First” approach focuses on building domestic capacity, creating jobs, improving productivity, diversifying exports, advancing digital transformation, and strengthening long-term resilience.
He emphasised that the strategy is not inward-looking, but rather aimed at enhancing national capabilities through strategic partnerships.
Describing Bangladesh as India’s largest trading partner in South Asia, he said bilateral trade currently stands at around USD 13.5 billion (FY 2024-25), making India Bangladesh’s second-largest trading partner in Asia.
Pankaj Tandon added that both countries have complementary strengths - Bangladesh’s industrial base and India’s manufacturing and services sectors - which can help develop integrated regional value chains.
He highlighted potential areas of cooperation including textiles, medical tourism, food processing, agriculture value chains, the digital economy, startups, energy and MSME linkages.
He also pointed to India’s strengths in digital public infrastructure, fintech, renewable energy, and manufacturing as useful for Bangladesh’s development goals.
CII representatives and members of the Bangladeshi media delegation also attended the event.
