The Indo-Pacific region has become a central arena in global geopolitics and strategic affairs. India continues to reaffirm its commitment to maintaining a free, open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific, guided by international law and mutual respect.

As a prominent stakeholder in this evolving landscape, India’s approach focuses on partnership and collaboration with regional nations to strengthen maritime security, uphold freedom of navigation, and promote a rules-based global order.

Geographically, the Indo-Pacific covers the combined expanse of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, including the nations that border them as well as their vital sea lanes and marine resources.

In the early 1990s, India’s shift toward neoliberal economic reforms coincided with a new foreign policy orientation that leaned toward engagement with the West and the United States. Within this context, the ‘Look East Policy’, launched in 1992, marked a turning point in India’s external relations.

The primary objective of the ‘Look East Policy’ was to enhance ties with Southeast Asian nations and position India as a strategic counterbalance to China, which many regional countries viewed with apprehension. Initially focused on trade and economic integration, the policy gradually acquired a strategic and security dimension due to China’s growing influence.

In pursuit of this vision, India became a sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1992, attained full dialogue partner status in 1996, and joined the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) the same year. India later expanded its engagement by participating in the East Asia Summit (EAS) from 2005 and became a dialogue partner in the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) in 2010.

ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) is a regional organization comprising 11 member states — Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste (East Timor), its newest entrant.

Recent discussions at the ADMM-Plus meeting gained significance amid rising concerns about China’s assertive actions in the region.

The ADMM-Plus serves as a crucial platform bringing together ASEAN and its eight dialogue partners &mda