Key Details
During the special briefing on 12 November, Secretary (East) Rudrendra Tandon outlined the following priorities for India's engagement with ASEAN:
Area | Key Developments |
Trade cooperation | India aims to expedite the review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA), alongside bilateral trade facilitation initiatives. Bilateral trade with the ASEAN region stands at approximately US$122 billion. |
Digital connectivity | Potential areas include Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), Unified Payments Interface (UPI), indigenous 4G telecommunications technologies and power grid integration. |
Maritime security | Priorities include maritime domain awareness, coordinated patrolling, combating piracy and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and Coast Guard cooperation. |
South China Sea | India called for any ASEAN-China Code of Conduct to comply with international maritime law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). |
Defence and space cooperation | India expressed interest in expanding defence industrial collaboration with ASEAN countries and strengthening space cooperation with the Philippines. |
Maritime Cooperation Remains Central to India's Act East Policy
India identified maritime security as a key pillar of its engagement with Southeast Asia, building on the 2026 India-ASEAN Year of Maritime Cooperation. As neighbouring maritime regions, the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asian maritime zone have shared strategic interests.
Priorities include strengthening maritime domain awareness, coordinated surveillance and patrolling, tackling piracy and IUU fishing, and maintaining good order at sea. India also highlighted opportunities for Coast Guard cooperation and capacity-building through its maritime training facilities. The Secretary noted that coordinated patrolling in the strategically important Strait of Malacca could strengthen surveillance across the region.
Digital Infrastructure and Energy Integration Offer New Areas for Regional Connectivity
India proposed greater collaboration with ASEAN on digital public infrastructure, UPI and telecommunications, including its indigenous 4G technologies. These capabilities could support ASEAN's broader objective of regional economic integration.
Power grid integration was also identified as a promising area, with India highlighting its experience in developing both the physical infrastructure and institutional systems required for cross-border electricity integration. The Secretary emphasised that air and maritime connectivity, alongside land-based links, would continue to support economic engagement.
Defence and Space Cooperation Could Expand Strategic Partnerships
India expressed interest in promoting defence industrial collaboration with ASEAN countries, drawing on the capabilities developed under its Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. Cooperation with the Philippines includes the existing BrahMos missile agreement, under which India is committed to supporting the country's defence capabilities.
Space cooperation was also identified as an ongoing area of bilateral engagement. India highlighted its indigenous space technologies and application capabilities as potential areas of interest for the Philippine Defence Forces.
Policy Relevance
ASEAN's strategic importance extends beyond trade to regional security, supply-chain resilience, maritime governance and digital economic integration. For India, deeper engagement can strengthen its Act East policy while expanding opportunities for Indian technology, infrastructure and defence industries in Southeast Asia.
However, translating these priorities into outcomes will require progress on longstanding connectivity constraints, the AITIGA review, cross-border infrastructure coordination and sustained maritime cooperation. Bilateral initiatives will remain important in advancing areas where multilateral consensus is difficult to achieve.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can India translate its digital infrastructure, energy integration and maritime security capabilities into practical regional partnerships to strengthen economic resilience and strategic cooperation across ASEAN?
Follow the Full News Here: Transcript of Special Briefing by MEA on the visit of the Prime Minister to the Philippines (November 12, 2026)