India has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening its strategic partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar highlighting the growing importance of closer engagement with Southeast Asia under New Delhi’s Act East Policy.
Jaishankar conveyed India’s greetings to ASEAN on its 59th founding anniversary and underlined the steady expansion of the India-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The relationship has developed across a broad range of areas, including defence and security, trade, connectivity, digital cooperation, education, culture and resilient supply chains.
India considers ASEAN a key pillar of its wider Indo-Pacific engagement. Southeast Asia’s strategic location between the Indian and Pacific Oceans makes stronger relations with ASEAN countries important for maintaining regional stability, expanding connectivity and supporting secure maritime routes.
Defence and security cooperation have also emerged as important elements of India’s engagement with ASEAN. New Delhi has been expanding defence interactions with Southeast Asian partners through military exchanges, maritime cooperation, capacity-building initiatives and regular strategic dialogue. These efforts complement India’s broader objective of contributing to peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific.
The Act East Policy remains central to India’s approach towards Southeast Asia. Alongside strategic cooperation, New Delhi has placed greater emphasis on physical and digital connectivity, stronger trade links and more resilient supply chains. Improved connectivity between India and Southeast Asia is particularly significant for integrating the northeastern region of India with wider regional economic networks.
India’s latest message on ASEAN Day reflects the broader trajectory of its engagement with Southeast Asia, with both sides seeking to expand cooperation beyond traditional diplomatic and economic areas. Defence, maritime security, connectivity, technology and people-to-people links are expected to remain important components of the relationship.
For New Delhi, a stronger ASEAN partnership supports its strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific while reinforcing the Act East Policy. As regional security and economic priorities continue to evolve, India’s deeper engagement with ASEAN is likely to remain an important element of its foreign and defence diplomacy.