ASEAN, a 10-member regional grouping with a combined GDP of USD 3.2 trillion and a population of 650 million, is a cornerstone of India’s Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific vision. India emphasised ASEAN Centrality in the Indo-Pacific, advocating for a Free, Open, Inclusive Indo-Pacific (FOIIP).
Significance of ASEAN for India:
For India’s Act East Policy:
- Gateway to Southeast Asia: ASEAN serves as India’s bridge to East Asia, helping diversify trade from traditional Western partners and linking Indian industries into global value chains.
- Strategic Integration of Northeast India: Connectivity projects like the IMT Trilateral Highway and Kaladan Multimodal Project connect Northeast India to ASEAN, transforming the region into India’s gateway to Asia, reducing dependency on the narrow Siliguri Corridor.
- Deepening Cultural Engagement: Act East focuses on people-to-people diplomacy, leveraging shared civilizational heritage such as Buddhism, and Ramayana traditions.
For India’s Indo-Pacific Vision:
- Ensuring ASEAN Centrality: A Free, Open and Inclusive Indo-Pacific requires ASEAN’s acceptance. India endorsed ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP) to counter narratives of bloc politics and ensure balanced regional architecture.
- Maritime Security: ASEAN states lie at critical chokepoints like the Strait of Malacca through which 55% of India’s trade passes. Cooperation through EAS, ARF, ADMM+ enhances India’s SAGAR doctrine.
- Balancing China: India’s partnerships empower ASEAN to avoid over-dependence on China. For example, BrahMos deal with the Philippines ensures maritime deterrence capacity building in South China Sea democracies.
Economic significance:
- India – ASEAN carried USD 122.67 billion trade in 2023–24 which is 11% of India’s global trade.
- Singapore is also India’s largest ASEAN trade partner & top FDI source (USD 14.94 billion)
Structural challenges:
Growing Trade Imbalance:
- Trade deficit increased from USD 9.66 bn (2016–17) to USD 45.2 bn (2024–25)
- India also withdrew from RCEP (2019) to avoid Chinese import surge
Project Delays: Security, funding & bureaucratic hurdles hurts India’s regional credibility
Security Limitations:
- ASEAN-China trade is at USD 702 bn, leads to strategic hedging
- Myanmar crisis also led to policy divergences within ASEAN & with India
Policy Gap: ASEAN pursues liberal digital trade while India follows data sovereignty priority as per DPDP Act, 2023.
Way Forward:
- Institutionalise Quad–ASEAN plus dialogues
Ø Speed-up IMT Highway & maritime-air corridors
Ø Expand digital interoperability & UPI linkage region-wide
Ø Levrage Blue Economy through anti-IUU fishing, energy security cooperation
Ø Leverage “Space for Sustainability” regional satellite for crop monitoring, marine protection and disaster alerts
Conclusion:
Strengthening connectivity, maritime security, digital economy, climate & development partnerships will help realise PM’s vision that “Asia of cooperation will shape the 21st century.”
‘+1’ Value Addition:
- In 2022, relations got upgraded to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
- PM Modi attended 9 out of 19 EAS summits
- India supplied BrahMos to the Philippines, a symbol of strategic defence trust
- India hosts 1000 ASEAN students/youth exchange annually
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