External affairs minister S. Jaishankar’s three-nation tour to Southeast Asia last month amid an election cycle in India underscores the critical role this region plays in New Delhi’s aspiration to emerge as a critical anchor in the Indo-Pacific. India’s relationship with Southeast Asia is marked by historical, cultural and economic ties that have evolved over centuries, shaping the diplomatic landscape of the region. Geopolitically, India’s ‘Look East’ policy, initiated in the early 1990s and later reconfigured as the ‘Act East’ policy, demonstrates its commitment to deepening engagement with the region. Yet, as a recent survey published by the ASEAN Studies Centre at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute reveals, it is a long road ahead for India in the region, with only 0.4% of those surveyed naming India as the country with the most political and strategic influence in Southeast Asia. This despite the fact that historically, New Delhi’s cultural influence extended to Southeast Asia through trade routes, religious exchanges and the spread of Indian civilization.
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