Look East policy paying dividends: N Ravi

Hyderabad, Jan 10 The country's 'Look East' policy has paid rich dividends in the form of greater connectivity and economic cooperation with the members of the Association for South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), External Affairs (East) Secretary N Ravi said today.

Talking to reporters at the National Institute for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises here after inaugurating four international management programmes for 86 people from 39 countries, he said the visible impact of the policy was that the trade between India and ASEAN had increased five-folds to 27 billion in 2005-06 since 1990.

Mr Ravi said his Ministry was facilitating training for as many as 4,000 foreigners from 180 countries in different areas in the premier institutes, including NIMSME, every year.

Courses on Information Technology was the most popular among foreign students, he said, adding that based on the feedback received from them, new programmes would be introduced.

Earlier addressing the students, Mr Ravi said Small and Medium Enterprises were best suited for developing innovative products at a competitive rate. This had been amply proved in countries like the US, Japan and Germany.

UNI