Amidst virtually addressing the ‘ASEAN-India Summit 2025’ via video conferencing, in New Delhi on October 26, 2025, PM Modi said that the India-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is emerging as a powerful foundation for global stability and growth.

PM Modi also said that the grouping is a key pillar of New Delhi’s Act East Policy.
Adding that the ” 21st century is our century, the century of India and ASEAN,” and stressing the deep-rooted historical, cultural, and civilisational bonds.
He congratulated Malaysia and its Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for successfully hosting the 47th ASEAN Summit and commended the Philippines for serving as the country coordinator for India. Further, he welcomed East Timor’s inclusion as the 11th member state of the ASEAN community.

He also extended condolences on the demise of Thailand’s Queen Mother Sirikit. He noted that India and ASEAN together represent nearly one-fourth of the world’s population, adding, “India and ASEAN together represent nearly one-fourth of the world’s population. We do not just share geography but are also connected by strong historical ties and shared values.”
“India has always fully supported ‘ASEAN centrality’ and ASEAN’s outlook on the Indo-Pacific.

PM further added that “even in these times of uncertainty, the India-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has made steady progress. Our strong partnership is emerging as a powerful foundation for global stability and growth,” PM Modi said.
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The PM also said India has “stood firmly with its ASEAN friends” in every crisis and the two-way cooperation in the spheres of maritime security and the blue economy is growing rapidly.
“In light of this, we are declaring 2026 as the ASEAN-India year of maritime cooperation,”
“We are also vigorously advancing mutual cooperation in education, tourism, science and technology, health, green energy and cybersecurity. We will continue to work together to preserve our shared cultural heritage and strengthen people-to-people ties.

ASEAN is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region, and India and several other countries, including the US, China, Japan and Australia, are its dialogue partners.
The ASEAN-India dialogue relations started with the establishment of a sectoral partnership in 1992. This graduated to a full dialogue partnership in December 1995 and a summit-level partnership in 2002.
The ties were elevated to a strategic partnership in 2012.
The two-way relations between India and ASEAN have been on a significant upswing in the last few years, with focus being on boosting cooperation in the areas of trade and investment as well as security and defence.

News Edit KV Raman