India’S Engagements with Asia-Pacific Economic Fora and Strategic Partnerships

India’s economic and strategic integration with the Asia-Pacific region forms a core pillar of its external foreign policy. Shifted from the “Look East Policy” initiated in 1991 to the broader “Act East Policy” launched in 2014, Indian engagement spans regional economic frameworks, maritime security architectures, and plurilateral platforms across the Indo-Pacific. This integration balances trade facilitation, supply chain resilience, and security cooperation while navigating complex regional trade agreements and multilateral arrangements.

Evolution from Look East to Act East Policy

India’s formal strategic outreach to the Asia-Pacific began during the economic reforms of the early 1990s. The policy trajectory shifted over three decades to deepen political, economic, and security ties across the eastern neighborhood.

Look East Policy (1991–2014)

• Launched under Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao to rebuild trade relations with Southeast Asian economies following the Cold War.
• Focused primarily on economic ties, trade concessions, and institutional integration with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
• Led to India becoming an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner in 1992, a Full Dialogue Partner in 1995, and a Summit-level Partner in 2002.

Act East Policy (2014–Present)

• Upgraded during the 12th ASEAN-India Summit in Myanmar to add strategic, defense, and connectivity dimensions to economic linkages.
• Emphasizes the three Cs: Commerce, Connectivity, and Culture.
• Expands the geographical coverage beyond Southeast Asia to include East Asia, Australasia, and the wider Indo-Pacific maritime domain.

Primary Engagement with ASEAN-Centric Platforms

ASEAN acts as the institutional centerpiece of India’s regional diplomacy. The relationship evolved into a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022.

ASEAN-India Dialogue Mechanisms

• ASEAN-India Free Trade Area (AIFTA): The Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) was signed in 2009 and entered into force in 2010. The Trade in Services and Investment Agreements followed in 2014. India and ASEAN initiated a joint review of AITIGA to make it more balanced and user-friendly.
• ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF): Joined by India in 1996, serving as a primary multilateral platform for political and security dialogue in the Indo-Pacific.
• ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus): Platform where India collaborates with ten ASEAN countries and seven dialogue partners on maritime security, counter-terrorism, and humanitarian assistance.
• East Asia Summit (EAS): Established in 2005 with India as a founding member, focusing on strategic, political, and economic challenges across the wider region.

Engagement with Regional Economic Architectures

India participates selectively in regional trade frameworks and supply chain initiatives, prioritizing national economic interests and domestic manufacturing capabilities.

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)

• APEC is an inter-governmental forum of 21 member economies established in 1989 and headquartered in Singapore.
• India holds observer status but remains a non-member due to a membership moratorium imposed by APEC in 1997.
• India continues to pursue full membership to align with regional trade facilitation standards and supply chain integration.

Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF)

• Launched in May 2022 by the United States alongside 13 founding partners, including India, Australia, Japan, and ASEAN states.
• Built around four independent pillars: Trade (Pillar I), Supply Chains (Pillar II), Clean Economy (Pillar III), and Fair Economy (Pillar IV).
• India joined Pillars II, III, and IV, signing the IPEF Supply Chain Agreement which entered into force in February 2024. India opted out of the Trade Pillar over concerns regarding digital trade rules, labor, and environmental commitments.

RCEP and CPTPP Positions

• Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP): India participated in RCEP negotiations from 2012 but formally withdrew in November 2019 during the Bangkok summit over unaddressed concerns regarding import surges, origin rules, and market access imbalances.
• Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP): India is not a party to this 11-member trade bloc, maintaining bilateral trade agreement pathways with key member states instead.

Strategic and Security Alliances in the Indo-Pacific

Beside economic fora, India engages in plurilateral security groupings designed to promote a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific order.

Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad)

• Plurilateral grouping comprising India, Australia, Japan, and the United States.
• Focuses on non-military security areas alongside regional economic stability, including the Quad Infrastructure Fellowship, Critical and Emerging Technology Working Groups, and the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA).
• Coordinates annual Malabar naval exercises among all four member countries.

Comparative Overview of Major Asia-Pacific Fora Involving India

Key Facts

• India became an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner in 1992, a Full Dialogue Partner in 1995, a Summit Partner in 2002, and a Comprehensive Strategic Partner in 2022.
• The Act East Policy was announced by India at the 12th ASEAN-India Summit held in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, in November 2014.
• APEC is headquartered in Singapore and comprises 21 member economies representing over half of global GDP.
• India chose not to join Pillar I (Trade) of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity while actively participating in Pillars II, III, and IV.
• The IPEF Supply Chain Agreement, signed in November 2023, officially entered into force on February 24, 2024.
• India formally exited the 16-nation RCEP negotiations in November 2019 to safeguard domestic agriculture, dairy, and manufacturing sectors.
• The East Asia Summit consists of 18 participating nations, including the 10 ASEAN member states and 8 dialogue partners.
• The Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) was launched by Quad leaders in 2022 to combat illegal fishing and track dark shipping in the region.
• India signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) in October 2003 during the 2nd ASEAN-India Summit in Bali, Indonesia.