India’s Strategic Engagement with ASEAN at the 22nd ASEAN-India Summit 2025
At the 22nd ASEAN-India Summit in Kuala Lumpur, India emphasized its multipolar foreign policy by having the Prime Minister attend virtually and the External Affairs Minister present in person. India highlighted ASEAN as a strategic cornerstone for its Act East policy, focusing on economic integration, maritime cooperation, and connectivity projects, while asserting its role as a Global South leader and a stabilizing force in Asia’s emerging multipolar order.
The 22nd ASEAN-India Summit held in Kuala Lumpur in 2025 illustrated India's nuanced diplomatic approach, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the summit virtually and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar attending physically, signaling India’s engagement on its own autonomous terms. India underscored ASEAN's importance as a fundamental pillar in Asia’s future architecture, integral to its Act East policy and Indo-Pacific vision. Economic ties were highlighted by trade figures reaching USD 120.9 billion in 2023-24, though India's trade deficit with ASEAN prompted calls for review of trade agreements emphasizing reciprocity and removal of non-tariff barriers. A strategic pivot toward maritime cooperation was declared by naming 2026 the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation, reflecting the critical importance of Indo-Pacific sea lanes for India’s trade security. Connectivity projects like the India-Myanmar-Thailand Highway and Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit corridor aim to link India with Southeast Asia physically and digitally. India positioned this engagement as part of a multipolar global order, rejecting unipolar or bloc politics, and asserting leadership and solidarity with the Global South. This partnership is also a strategic buffer against regional destabilizing actors such as Pakistan and Turkey, aiming to strengthen stability and integration. India's rising global stature and economic trajectory were underlined, along with its desire to move beyond traditional labels by offering development and security partnerships. The summit reflected India’s attempt to shift perceptions, deepen true economic integration, and contribute as a stabilizing power in Asia’s geopolitics rather than a mere regional actor.
