Given India’s enhanced global diplomatic stature and its leadership within the Global South, a deeper collaboration between India and ASEAN promises significant mutual benefits and strengthened regional stability
Since assuming office for the third time in May 2024, the Modi government has intensified its engagement with Southeast Asia more than previous administrations. The outreach began with the visit of Thailand’s Foreign Minister to India in July 2024, followed by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official trip at the end of July and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s visit in August.

Prime Minister Modi then made official visits to Brunei and Singapore on September 3 and 4, 2024, respectively. Earlier, on August 29, Minister of State for External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita, represented India at the Pacific Islands Forum meeting.

Prior to these visits, Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar visited Laos from July 25 to 27, 2024, at the invitation of Saleumxay Kommasith, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Lao PDR. He participated in ASEAN framework meetings, including the ASEAN-India, East Asia Summit (EAS), and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Foreign Ministers’ Meetings.

Immediately after, on July 29, 2024, Dr. Jaishankar attended the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Tokyo, where members reaffirmed their unwavering support for ASEAN unity, centrality, and the ASEAN-led regional architecture, including the EAS and ARF.

Significance of ASEAN to India
 India’s deepening engagement with ASEAN is anchored in the ASEAN-centred regional architecture, a strong commitment to ASEAN unity and centrality, and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). This engagement is further bolstered by efforts to advance the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Notably, 2024 marks a significant milestone—the 10th anniversary of India’s Act East Policy, first announced by Prime Minister Modi at the 9th East Asia Summit in 2014.

These engagements occurred against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the South China Sea. On June 20, 2024, the Chinese Coast Guard prevented the free movement of the Philippine Navy in the region, raising concerns about potential escalation to the broader Indo-Pacific.

During this period, India’s political engagement as a Quad member provided reassurance to ASEAN countries. India’s commitment to a free, open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific was a key factor in fostering regional stability.

India-Asian relations
The roots of India-ASEAN cooperation trace back to the 1990s, when both parties recognised the necessity of a broader partnership to tackle emerging economic and strategic challenges.

India sought to strengthen its economic ties in the region, aiming to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and enhance trade partnerships.

In alignment with ASEAN’s needs, India launched the Look East Policy, which was later enhanced in November 2014 with the introduction of the more action-oriented “Act East Policy,” officially announced by Prime Minister Modi at the 9th East Asia Summit.

From ASEAN’s perspective, India has emerged as a reliable strategic ally. The collaborative journey began with India’s designation as a Sectoral Partner of ASEAN in 1992.

As the geostrategic and geo-economic landscape in Asia, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, evolved, the partnership saw periodic upgrades. India was elevated to Dialogue Partner status in 1996 and to Summit Level Partner in 2002.

Recognising the increasing significance of this relationship, it was upgraded to a Strategic Partnership in 2012 and further advanced to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022.

Over the past 30 years, the India-ASEAN relationship has evolved through extensive engagements addressing a broad spectrum of mutual interests and concerns. This collaborative effort includes seven ministerial meetings and numerous official-level interactions.

Since 1992, India has consistently participated at the highest levels in every ASEAN meeting. Together, India and ASEAN have developed several action plans, beginning in 2004.

These plans have outlined priority areas, with the fifth plan of action adopted in 2020, further advancing political, security, and economic initiatives.

India-Brunei relations
In this context, Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Brunei significantly enhanced India’s long-term, meaningful, and results-oriented reengagement with ASEAN and its member countries, fostering a deeper understanding of each other’s strategic needs.

 The visit, which took place at the invitation of Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, marked the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Brunei. The visit also coincided with the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Given its strategic location, abundant resources, and membership in ASEAN, Brunei has been a regular exporter of fossil fuels and marine products to India since the 1980s.

Additionally, Brunei hosts the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s Telemetry Tracking and Telecommand Station.

Highlighting the importance of this relationship, both leaders engaged in discussions aimed at enhancing cooperation across a broad spectrum of issues.

These include defence, connectivity, trade and investment, energy (including renewables), space, ICT, health and pharmaceuticals, education and capacity building, culture, tourism, youth and people-to-people exchanges, as well as regional and international matters of mutual interest.

Additionally, both countries reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation in various regional and multilateral fora. They pledged to work closely together in mutually beneficial areas to further bolster the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

India-Singapore relations
The Singapore visit in 2024 was particularly strategic compared to previous visits, as it underscored India’s commitment to implementing the ASEAN-India Action Plan adopted at the Post-Ministerial Conference in July 2023.

The visit also aimed at endorsing the issues agreed upon during the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR), including the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on semiconductors, at the top executive level.

Singapore holds a distinctive role in India’s ASEAN engagements. Beyond their historical and cultural ties, Singapore has been a major source of foreign investment in India since 2018. Notably, in the fiscal year 2023-24, India received the highest foreign direct investment from Singapore, totalling US$ 11.774 billion.
 
Moreover, Singapore is India’s largest trade partner within ASEAN. Following the conclusion of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement in 2005, bilateral trade surged from US$ 6.7 billion in 2004-05 to US$ 35.6 billion in 2023-24.

Singapore ranks as India’s 6th largest trade partner for the fiscal year 2023-24, accounting for 3.2% of India’s total trade. Additionally, approximately 9,000 Indian companies are registered in Singapore.

India-Singapore relations were elevated to Strategic Partnership status in 2015. A significant development in this relationship occurred with the formation of the ISMR in September 2022.

This milestone has led to an expansion of the partnership into new areas, including sustainability, digitalisation, skills development, healthcare and medicine, advanced manufacturing, and connectivity.

Against this backdrop, both Prime Ministers agreed to elevate their bilateral relations to a ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ to deepen and broaden cooperation. They highlighted advanced manufacturing, particularly in developing resilient semiconductor supply chains, as a new pillar of this enhanced cooperation.

Reaffirming their commitment to ASEAN centrality, both leaders expressed support for each other’s roles in the evolving regional architecture aimed at fostering regional peace, stability, and prosperity.

They also endorsed further strengthening the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which complements India’s bilateral relations with individual ASEAN member states.

Conclusion
The frequent high-level visits and ongoing upgrades to bilateral and multilateral engagements underscore the ASEAN region’s centrality in India’s Act East policy and Indo-Pacific strategy.
 
India’s steadfast support for ASEAN’s central role highlights its recognition of ASEAN as a key economic, territorial, and cultural entity, despite challenges from China.

Over time, India has established itself as a trusted partner in the region. For ASEAN, India represents a major market and a vital ally in security cooperation.

***The writer is a Research Fellow at MP-IDSA; views expressed in this article are personal

 (Note: This article first appeared in INN)