It gives me great pleasure and pride to be addressing at the Banaras Hindu University, an institution which has been in the service of the nation for 100 years; more so because this institution has been deeply intertwined with freedom movement and freedom leaders like Pandit Madanmohan Malaviya. I am thankful to the Vice Chancellor Prof Tripathi for giving me this opportunity. 2.
In addition to the liberalization of trade in goods and services, this model involves the free movement of labour and capital, a regional strategic sectoral plan, the adoption of a harmonized investment code and the development of a regional capital market. Greater integration along these lines could be a critical input in improving competitiveness.