India’s Act East Policy

India’s Act East Policy is a diplomatic, economic and strategic framework that strengthens India’s engagement with the Indo-Pacific, especially Southeast and East Asia. It builds on the earlier Look East Policy and places greater emphasis on connectivity, security cooperation and regional integration.

Evolution of the Policy Framework

• Look East Policy: Launched in 1991 during Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao’s tenure, it aimed to reintegrate India with the global economy and build political and security links with Southeast Asia.
• Act East Policy: Upgraded in November 2014 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it marked a shift from a mainly economic approach to a more proactive political, strategic and security-oriented policy.
• Core pillars: The policy is guided by the 4 Cs — Culture, Commerce, Connectivity and Capacity Building.
• Expanded reach: The scope moved beyond ASEAN to include East Asian countries, Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Island countries.

Trade and Economic Engagements

• India-ASEAN trade: Bilateral trade between India and ASEAN reached around USD 128 billion in the 2025–2026 fiscal year, accounting for roughly 11% of India’s total global trade.
• AITIGA review: The ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement, which came into force in January 2010, is under comprehensive review and upgrade negotiations to address India’s trade deficit with the bloc.
• Plan of Action: The ASEAN-India Plan of Action (2026–2030) was endorsed in late 2025 to guide the implementation of the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
• Timor-Leste and ASEAN: Timor-Leste was welcomed as the 11th full member state of ASEAN during regional summitry in late 2025, expanding cooperation opportunities for the region.

Key Connectivity Infrastructure

• India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) Trilateral Highway: The 1,360 km highway connects Moreh in Manipur with Mae Sot in Thailand via Myanmar. It is about 70% complete, with a revised operational target of 2027.
• Construction in Myanmar: Progress has been delayed by the civil conflict in Myanmar, which has slowed work on the Myanmar segment.
• NHAI role: The National Highways Authority of India completed Phase-I of the Yargi-Kalewa section of the IMT Highway in Myanmar in late 2025 and handed it over to Myanmar’s Ministry of Construction.
• Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP): This project links Kolkata with Sittwe port in Rakhine State, Myanmar. The waterways component from Sittwe port to the Paletwa inland jetty was completed and inaugurated in May 2023.
• Zorinpui-Paletwa road: The 109 km road component of KMTTP, connecting Zorinpui on the Indian border to Paletwa in Myanmar, remains under construction with a 2027 target.
• Security impact: Project progress has been affected by the Arakan Army’s takeover of Paletwa in January 2024.

Maritime Security and Sub-regional Cooperation

• ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation: The year 2026 was designated for maritime cooperation after an agreement at the 22nd ASEAN-India Summit in October 2025.
• Focus areas: The initiative promotes cooperation in the Blue Economy and maritime security.
• North East Economic Corridor: The High-Level Task Force on the North East Economic Corridor submitted its final report to the North Eastern Council during its 73rd Plenary in June 2026.
• Domestic and cross-border linkages: The corridor seeks to align development in India’s Northeast with regional economic integration.
• Naval cooperation: India participates in joint exercises such as SIMBEX with Singapore and conducts coordinated patrols (CORPAT) with Indonesia and Thailand.
• Strategic aim: These initiatives support freedom of navigation and wider Indo-Pacific stability.

Key Prelims Takeaways

• Policy shift: Act East Policy replaced the Look East Policy in November 2014 and gave it a stronger strategic and security dimension.
• 4 Cs: The policy rests on Culture, Commerce, Connectivity and Capacity Building.
• Regional scope: It covers ASEAN, East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Island countries.
• Trade focus: India-ASEAN trade stood at about USD 128 billion in 2025–2026, while AITIGA is under review.
• Connectivity projects: The IMT Trilateral Highway and the KMTTP remain central to the policy’s ground-level implementation.
• Completion target: Both the IMT Highway and the Zorinpui-Paletwa road component have a 2027 target.
• Maritime cooperation: 2026 was designated as the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation, reflecting the policy’s Blue Economy and security focus.