A Decade of India’s Act East Policy: Doing More With ASEAN

In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi upgraded and rebranded the policy as “Act East”, seeking a more active and institutionalised approach to deepen ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the individual member states of ASEAN. [...] Challenges On the Ground Two countries crucial to the implementation of the AEP, neighbouring Bangladesh and Myanmar, are in the midst of political turmoil and civil strife. [...] The internal security situation in Bangladesh and Myanmar has raised concerns about the influx of refugees into India’s northeast, destabilising the borders and potentially delaying key AEP projects. [...] The Kaladan Multi-Modal Transport Transit Project is facing a setback as the ethnic armed group, Arakan Army, seized the Paletwa township situated on the banks of the Kaladan river in Chin state, which borders the Indian state of Mizoram. [...] Although efforts have been made over three decades of diplomatic relations to realise the strategic potential of the partnership, consolidating the common interests through the ASEAN-India platform has been elusive.