 "The Kuala Lumpur Summit will be remembered not simply as a diplomatic event, but as the moment the idea of an India–Asean Century moved from rhetoric to roadmap. Image: Reuters")
The 22nd Asean-India Summit, held on October 26, 2025, under the chairmanship of Malaysia and attended virtually by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marked a pivotal moment in the evolution of India’s Act East Policy and strategic engagement with Southeast Asia. Modi has participated in all Asean-India summits except in 2022, when the vice president led the delegation. India’s sustained commitment to Asean centrality and to shaping a peaceful, prosperous, and multipolar Indo-Pacific was well expressed by him.
India and Asean, together representing one-fourth of humanity, are not merely geographical neighbours; they are bound by ancient civilisational links, shared values, and a common strategic outlook. As Prime Minister Modi reaffirmed, “The 21st century is our century—the century of India and Asean”. The summit underscored that India and Asean are not just stakeholders in the emerging world order—they are co-authors of its future. This was important, as Modi did not call it an Asian century, which China interprets as a Chinese century, and this clarity gives the Global South context for India and Asean to cooperate.
Asean Centrality and the Indo-Pacific Outlook
Prime Minister Modi congratulated Timor-Leste on becoming the 11th member of Asean and participating in its first Asean-India Summit as a full member. He expressed India’s continued support for its human development, including extending Quick Impact Projects and capacity-building initiatives. This expansion of Asean marks a historic development—the first addition to the grouping in the 21st century—symbolising a renewed and inclusive regional vision. Cambodia was the last to join in 1999.
Reiterating India’s unwavering support for Asean unity, centrality, and the Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, Modi welcomed the adoption of the Community Vision 2045. India as a dialogue partner engages across all three pillars of Asean—the political-security community, economic community, and socio-cultural community—reflecting a comprehensive and trusted partnership. The new Action Plan 2026-2030 manifests this diverse engagement.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsStrengthening Strategic and Economic Ties
Prime Minister Modi emphasised the urgent need to review the Asean-India Free Trade Agreement (AITIGA). He highlighted that a timely modernisation of the agreement is essential to unlock the full economic potential of the partnership, enhance supply chain resilience, and promote fair and mutually beneficial trade. This reform is expected to boost digital trade, MSME integration, and sustainable investment flows.
The summit also focused on the growing importance of critical technologies, fintech cooperation, semiconductor development, rare earths, and critical minerals, which are crucial to reducing dependence on singular supply chains and strengthening strategic autonomy in the Indo-Pacific.
Maritime Cooperation
Maritime security, blue economy development, and freedom of navigation emerged as central themes of the summit. The leaders jointly declared 2026 as the “Asean-India Year of Maritime Cooperation” to advance collaboration in the blue economy, maritime transport corridors, climate resilience, and marine resource management. In 2023 India and Asean had already issued a joint statement on maritime cooperation, which will now receive impetus.
Prime Minister Modi also proposed:
Hosting the Second Asean-India Defence Ministers’ Meeting
Conducting the Second Asean-India Maritime Exercise
Organising the East Asia Summit Maritime Heritage Festival at Lothal, Gujarat
Convening a Conference on Maritime Security Cooperation
These initiatives reflect India’s proactive role in promoting a rules-based maritime order, in sharp contrast to coercive regional behaviour that threatens Asean sovereignty. Asean’s maritime nations, including the Philippines, explicitly acknowledged India’s constructive stance in supporting international law in the South China Sea.
Security, Resilience and India as First Responder
Calling terrorism, a grave threat to global peace and security, Prime Minister Modi urged unity and resolute collective action. He reiterated India’s commitment to act as a “First Responder” in times of crisis, reinforcing cooperation in disaster preparedness, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief (HADR). India’s growing capacity and credibility in providing rapid assistance in times of natural disasters has significantly enhanced trust among Asean nations.
India also announced the training of 400 renewable energy professionals to support the Asean Power Grid initiative and promote clean energy integration across the region.
Socio-Cultural Bonds: A Civilisational Partnership
Prime Minister Modi reminded leaders that India and Asean are not just strategic partners but civilisational companions. “We are not only commercial partners but also cultural partners… Asean is a cornerstone of India’s Act East Policy,” he said. The Prime Minister welcomed the adoption of the Joint Leaders’ Statement on Sustainable Tourism, aligning with the Asean-India Year of Tourism and the emerging regional focus on nature-based and heritage tourism. In 2025 India is now directly connected by air links to all Asean countries except Laos.
Modi emphasised cooperation in education, health, science and technology, green energy, cyber security, cultural preservation, and youth development. A major announcement included the proposed establishment of a Centre for Southeast Asian Studies at Nalanda University, which will serve as a think tank and knowledge hub to build regional expertise. An India Asean Youth Summit has been held earlier this year.
Ensuring Multipolarity in a Fragmenting World
Asean today stands at a geopolitical crossroads. Increasing US-China competition and economic dependence on China are creating strategic discomfort. The bloc seeks to preserve its autonomy amidst external pressures, and India offers a viable multipolar alternative rooted in respect, partnership, and shared development rather than dominance or dependency. As Philippine President Marcos said in his remarks at the summit, Asean looks to India and their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the AEP to find solutions for Asean’s current problems.
India’s vision aligns with Asean’s desire to shape the global agenda through the Global South, rather than merely reacting to superpower rivalries. Prime Minister Modi’s declaration that the Asean-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is emerging as a “robust foundation for global stability and development” reflects this shared aspiration for a balanced, inclusive, and pluralistic order.
Conclusion: The India–Asean Century Begins
At the summit, Prime Minister Modi thanked Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for successfully hosting the summit virtually and appreciated Philippine President Marcos Jr’s effective role as country coordinator. Both have made bilateral visits to India during this year. Asean leaders, in turn, lauded India’s consistent and principled engagement through its Act East Policy.
The summit made it clear that Asean and India are not just navigating the future together but are shaping it. The deepening partnership spans maritime security, digital inclusion, sustainable development, critical technologies, cultural connectivity, and multipolar diplomacy. With Vision 2045 and Viksit Bharat 2047 aligned, India and Asean have embarked on a shared journey of prosperity, resilience, and stability.
The Kuala Lumpur Summit will be remembered not simply as a diplomatic event, but as the moment the idea of an India–Asean Century moved from rhetoric to roadmap, anchoring Asia’s future in cooperation, inclusivity, and shared destiny.
The writer is a former ambassador to Germany, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Asean, and the African Union, and the author of ‘The Mango Flavour: India & Asean After 10 Years of the AEP’. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Firstpost.