Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will seek to expand India’s defence partnerships with Southeast Asian countries and explore fresh areas of cooperation during his two-day visit to the Philippines from October 28 to 29 for the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), officials said.
The visit comes amid India’s push to deepen defence engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including potential cooperation in patrol vessels, radars, air defence systems, helicopters, drones and other technologies. Singh recently said India was ready to explore opportunities in these areas with the regional bloc.
Discussions during the visit are also expected to focus on promoting a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, with an emphasis on regional stability, respect for sovereignty and the peaceful resolution of disputes.
“India is firmly committed to ASEAN centrality and the peace, stability, and collective growth of the Indo-Pacific region under our Act East Policy,” Singh said ahead of his departure.
He added that he would hold several bilateral meetings with defence counterparts from participating countries to review existing cooperation and identify new avenues for strengthening strategic partnerships.
ADMM-Plus brings 19 countries together
The ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting is the bloc’s highest-level defence consultative and cooperative mechanism. Its expanded format, ADMM-Plus, brings together the 11 ASEAN member states and eight dialogue partners: India, the United States, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
The ASEAN members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam. The forum provides a platform for participating countries to strengthen security and defence cooperation.
The Philippines is chairing ADMM-Plus in 2026. India is also co-chairing the experts working group on counter-terrorism with Malaysia for the 2024-2027 period.
India expands defence partnerships in Southeast Asia
India has been strengthening its defence links with ASEAN countries, with missile cooperation emerging as a significant area of engagement. Indonesia is set to become the third ASEAN member, after the Philippines and Vietnam, to acquire the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, jointly developed by India and Russia.
The missile demonstrated its lethality during last year’s conflict between India and Pakistan, further drawing attention to its capabilities.
Singh outlined India’s broader vision for regional security on October 14 at the inaugural session of the ASEAN-India Defence Think Tank Forum at the Manohar Parrikar Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses. He said India wanted an Indo-Pacific in which every country could make its own choices, safeguard its interests and pursue development peacefully.
“ We believe that security is strengthened when countries build capacity together, respect international law, and maintain trust through dialogue,” Singh said.
Indo-Pacific tensions in focus
Singh’s emphasis on an inclusive regional order comes against the backdrop of China’s efforts to expand its influence across the Indo-Pacific. These include establishing military bases, pressing smaller countries to support its maritime claims and seeking strategic concessions from states considered vulnerable.
China has longstanding territorial disputes in the South China Sea with several ASEAN members, including Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
India has consistently advocated an Indo-Pacific order founded on freedom, openness and inclusivity, respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, and the peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue and international law.
Singh has previously urged countries to address disagreements before they escalate into disputes, stressing the importance of diplomacy and cooperation.
“Differences should be discussed early and peacefully, before they become disputes. We should support a regional order in which countries can work together without being forced to choose sides,” he said.
His meetings on the sidelines of ADMM-Plus are expected to provide an opportunity to review India’s existing defence partnerships and explore further cooperation as New Delhi pursues its Act East Policy and seeks to contribute to peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific.