Following the introduction, the report commences with an assessment of the global economic outlook and how this impacts the economic sub-regions of South and Southeast Asia. It evaluates the ASEAN and India both in terms of growth prospects and development. With this perspective, the assertion is to ensure the ‘effectiveness’ of regional integration to combat repercussions from global slowdowns.
At this point, the reader is compelled to question the meaning of effectiveness across different aspects of integration. However, this sets an interesting premise for the report that then goes forward to examine the economic logic and policy questions underlying various aspects of ASEAN–India integration.