India's Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles, Shri Pabitra Margherita, recently concluded an official visit to Malaysia from April 18-19, 2025. During his trip, the minister inaugurated the India-ASEAN Tourism Pavilion at the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) Fair in Kuala Lumpur, highlighting the vast tourism potential in India with a special focus on Northeast India.
The pavilion was opened as part of the ASEAN-India Year of Tourism celebration in 2025, which aims to strengthen economic ties between the two regions. The minister also held meetings with over 80 tourism professionals, including 45 from India and representatives from ASEAN Member States and Timor Leste. These meetings were held in partnership with Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) and showcased the vast opportunities for collaboration between India and Malaysia in the tourism sector.
During his visit, Minister Margherita met with key government officials, including Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Datuk Mohamad bin Alamin, Deputy Minister of Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reforms) H.E. Mr. Kulasegaran Murugeson, and Deputy Minister for Investment, Trade and Industry H.E. Mr. Liew Chin Tong. These meetings reviewed the progress on implementing initiatives announced during a previous visit by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to India in August 2024.
The minister also engaged with representatives of the Consortium of Indian Industries in Malaysia (CIIM) and the Malaysia-India Business Council (MIBC), further strengthening the growing cooperation between the two countries under their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established in August 2024. Additionally, he met with members of the Indian community living in Malaysia, including those from Northeast India.
The visit concluded with Minister Margherita reaffirming the commitment to strengthen economic ties and expand tourism cooperation between India and Malaysia, a key component of the bilateral partnership.