ASEAN Centrality: Rhetoric or Reality in Indian Foreign Policy?

India and ASEAN: Navigating a Shifting Indo-Pacific Landscape

India’s commitment to enhancing cooperation with ASEAN is a cornerstone of its Indo-Pacific strategy. This dedication is clearly demonstrated in the ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Strengthening ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace, Stability and Prosperity in the Region, which acts as a vital framework for advancing collaboration between the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI). the mutual efforts to explore synergies between these initiatives, especially in critical areas such as economic advancement, maritime cooperation, connectivity, and the Lasting Development Goals (SDGs), underscore a shared aspiration for peace and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific.

Though,ASEAN’s limited capacity for decisive collective security action,evident in its measured response to the south China Sea disputes,and its internal challenges arising from heightened great power competition,highlight the inherent constraints it faces within the evolving regional order. Concurrently, India’s expanding engagement with the Quad and othre minilateral groupings suggests a strategic calculus that values a diversified partnership approach. In an increasingly fragmented geopolitical environment, minilateralism offers a more agile and effective platform for addressing contemporary challenges. This has led to a perception that India’s proactive embrace of minilateral formats signifies a strategic shift away from its conventional focus on ASEAN.

India appears to be expertly navigating a delicate balance. While consistently reaffirming ASEAN centrality in its official pronouncements and actively supporting ASEAN-led initiatives, New Delhi is simultaneously building strategic influence through minilateral mechanisms like the Quad and strengthening bilateral ties with key ASEAN member states, including Vietnam, Singapore, and Indonesia. This dual-track approach represents a pragmatic strategy of balanced engagement. ASEAN centrality serves to maintain regional goodwill and avoid perceptions of alignment with any single great power. simultaneously, the adoption of minilateralism in the Indo-Pacific provides India with crucial strategic flexibility and leverage to counter coercive behavior, particularly from China.

For India, ASEAN centrality functions as both a guiding diplomatic principle and a strategic convenience. It facilitates broad multilateral engagement while preserving the necessary space for more adaptable coalitions to respond effectively to emergent regional challenges. Nevertheless, the long-term sustainability of this dual approach is intrinsically linked to ASEAN’s continued regional relevance and India’s commitment to substantiating its rhetorical support with tangible economic and institutional engagement.

To project a credible and inclusive Indo-Pacific vision, India must ensure that ASEAN centrality transcends being a mere slogan. This necessitates a revitalization of economic partnerships, substantial investments in connectivity initiatives, and a steadfast commitment to ensuring that ASEAN-led platforms remain integral to India’s regional strategy. Only through these concerted efforts can ASEAN centrality evolve from a rhetorical device into a truly meaningful and impactful pillar of India’s foreign policy.

To what extent does India’s pursuit of its own strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific region align with or contradict the principle of non-interference central to ASEAN Centrality?

The Ancient context of India-ASEAN Relations

India’s engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has evolved significantly since 1992, when it became a Sectoral Dialog Partner. The cornerstone of this relationship has consistently been the principle of “ASEAN Centrality” – the idea that ASEAN should be at the heart of regional architecture and dialogue. tho,the extent to which India genuinely prioritizes this principle,versus paying it lip service while pursuing its own strategic interests,is a subject of ongoing debate within Indian foreign policy circles and among regional observers. Early engagement focused on economic ties, with the India-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA) becoming operational in 2015, boosting trade relations and economic cooperation.

Defining ASEAN Centrality: core Principles

ASEAN Centrality isn’t merely a diplomatic phrase; it encompasses several key tenets:

Consensus-Based Decision Making: ASEAN operates on the principle of consensus, meaning all member states must agree before a decision is made. India’s approach needs to respect this process.

Non-Interference: A core tenet of ASEAN’s foreign policy,non-interference in the internal affairs of member states.

Inclusivity: ASEAN aims to be an inclusive platform for dialogue and cooperation, involving major powers like India, China, the US, and others.

Neutrality: Maintaining a neutral stance on major power competition, acting as a convener rather then a partisan actor.

These principles present both opportunities and challenges for India’s foreign policy objectives in the Indo-Pacific region.

india’s Strategic interests & Potential Conflicts with ASEAN Centrality

India’s growing strategic interests in Southeast Asia, driven by concerns about China’s rise and the need to secure its maritime trade routes, sometimes clash with the principles of ASEAN Centrality.

The Quad & Balancing China: India’s participation in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) – with the US, Japan, and Australia – is frequently enough viewed with some apprehension within ASEAN, as it’s perceived as a containment strategy against China. While India frames the Quad as a force for regional stability, some ASEAN members prefer a more neutral approach.

Bilateral Security Partnerships: India has been strengthening bilateral security partnerships with individual ASEAN members like Vietnam, Singapore, and Indonesia. While these partnerships are mutually beneficial, they can be seen as undermining ASEAN’s collective approach to security.

competing Visions of Regional Order: India’s vision of a multipolar Indo-Pacific,where it plays a leading role,doesn’t always align perfectly with ASEAN’s preference for a regional order based on ASEAN Centrality and multilateralism.

digital Governance & Emerging Technologies: As highlighted in recent reports (Malay Mail, 2025), ASEAN and China are rapidly advancing in areas like AI governance and 5G. India’s approach to these technologies, and its potential for collaboration with ASEAN, is crucial.

case Study: The South China Sea Dispute

The South China Sea dispute provides a clear example of the tensions surrounding ASEAN Centrality and India’s foreign policy.India supports freedom of navigation and international law in the South China Sea,and has increased its naval presence in the region. While this aligns with the interests of some ASEAN members (like the Philippines and Vietnam), it also risks escalating tensions with China and possibly undermining ASEAN’s efforts to manage the dispute through dialogue and negotiation. India’s balancing act – supporting ASEAN’s position while also pursuing its own strategic interests – demonstrates the complexities of navigating ASEAN Centrality.

India’s Recent Actions Demonstrating Support for ASEAN Centrality

Despite the potential conflicts, India has taken several steps to demonstrate its commitment to ASEAN Centrality:

Increased Investment in ASEAN Connectivity: India has invested heavily in infrastructure projects aimed at improving connectivity between India and ASEAN countries, such as the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral Highway.

Support for ASEAN-Led mechanisms: India actively participates in ASEAN-led forums like the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the Regional Complete Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Capacity Building Initiatives: india provides capacity-building assistance to ASEAN member states in areas like counter-terrorism, disaster management, and maritime security.

Focus on Economic Cooperation: Continued emphasis on strengthening the India-ASEAN FTA and exploring new areas of economic cooperation, including digital trade and green technologies.

The Role of emerging Technologies and Digital Cooperation

the rise of new technologies presents both challenges and opportunities for India-ASEAN relations. Areas for collaboration include:

Fintech & Digital Payments: BRICS nations are pioneering digital finance (Malay Mail, 2025), and India can share its expertise with ASEAN members.

Cybersecurity: The EU’s leadership in cybersecurity standards provides a framework for India and ASEAN to collaborate on enhancing regional