Ties that bind: India and Southeast Asia relationships through civilizational connections

Abstract

India’s evolving relationship with Southeast Asian nations over the past decade offers intriguing insights. Despite the differences in the political systems and forms of governance, India’s presence in Southeast Asia has grown robustly. While India’s civilizational ties with the region date back centuries, the past decade has seen these cultural connections leveraged to strengthen relationships and advance strategic and economic interests. The Act East Policy, a significant shift from the Look East Policy (from merely recognizing the geostrategic significance of Southeast Asia to India to a tangible set of measures), positions India as a key stakeholder in the region. This paper argues that India’s bilateral and multilateral relationships with the Southeast Asian countries transcend the existing conceptual and theoretical frameworks, blending nationalism with internationalism. The Act East Policy seamlessly integrates civilizational ties and strategic interests. This paper explores and critically analyses the processes, concrete measures and values through which the Act East Policy operates.