The first ASEAN–India Defence Think Tank Forum, organised by the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) in New Delhi on 14–15 October 2026, was a welcome initiative in a relationship whose security dimension has advanced faster at the governmental level than among non-governmental interlocutors. It fulfilled a commitment made by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the second ASEAN–India Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting in Kuala Lumpur in October 2025, on the sidelines of the 12th ADMM-Plus. Bringing together representatives of India and all eleven ASEAN member states, the forum created a new platform for strategic dialogue.

Its significance lies not merely in fulfilling a commitment but in addressing a gap in India–ASEAN engagement. As I have argued in The Durian Flavour: India–ASEAN After a Decade of the Act East Policy, the Delhi Dialogue, conceived as a Track 1.5 platform, lost momentum as participation by ASEAN ministers diminished. The ASEAN–India Network of Think Tanks has continued, but a dedicated defence forum brings a different set of institutions and practitioners into the relationship. By concentrating on experts, researchers and defence professionals rather than seeking ministerial participation, the new initiative has the potential to sustain a more candid and technically informed conversation.

The Defence Minister’s inaugural address provided a useful political framework. He envisaged an Indo-Pacific in which all countries, large and small, could “make their own choices, protect their interests and pursue development in peace”. He emphasised trust, respect for sovereignty, international law and dialogue, while arguing that India’s approach and ASEAN’s Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) should complement rather than........

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