We are in the third decade of the Asian Century and, by far, the Asian countries have established that what was dreamed of and speculated will become reality very shortly. ASEAN, India, China, Japan, South Korea — all these Asian nations combined have evolved to be the leaders in various industries. To this end, India is far way ahead under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his diplomatic strategy towards Asian nations, especially ASEAN. Modi’s ASEAN outreach is not confined to security and state-to-state relations; it further enunciates people-to-people connectivity. Beginning with security, the Modi government has strengthened engagement with ASEAN nations under the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).

India, after 2014, has also enhanced its regional presence by being proactively involved in naval exercises, coordinated patrols, and sharing of information. A joint and collaborative approach to cybersecurity and counter-terrorism is another dimension where India is bolstering its security presence in the region. Thereafter, as an ethical partner, India has also furthered its defence export and technology cooperation so that the defence nations of ASEAN become self-dependent, and further ahead in this line, India has also set up a Defence Line of Credit for ASEAN nations. However, India’s regional security policy is not merely in the form of traditional and military security, but it has also incorporated human security into its engagement with the ASEAN nations. Regional disaster management and collaboration frameworks have been instituted by the Indian National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance Centre (AHA Centre). To build flood, typhoon, and sea-level rise resilient infrastructure, India also initiated the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), along with Indonesia, the Philippines, and Singapore. India emerged as a first responder in the Indo-Pacific region due to its responsible role in humanitarian assistance, particularly........

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