India set to gain freer access to the services domain in Malaysia

• Malaysia is likely to allow equity holdings from India, ranging from 49 to 100 per cent, in 91 sub-sectors of the services domain.
• Under the India-Malaysia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), ready for signature on Friday (February 18), New Delhi has agreed to make a reciprocal gesture to Malaysia in 84 sub-sectors under the rubric of services. The CECA, which took just about a year to finalise, will be signed by Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and his Malaysian counterpart in Putrajaya, administrative capital outside Kuala Lumpur.
• The CECA, which would come into effect on July 1 upon being signed on Friday, would cover a wide spectrum of services, including those of a highly technical nature. "It is still early days for Malaysia" in the services domain, compared to India, but 'an opportunity' was being provided 'to review and make the deal better' for both sides.