The difference between “Look East" and “Act East" is beyond just semantics—it marked a shift in urgency, ambition, and outreach. It wasn’t just about economic cooperation anymore; it was about security and defence, too. PM Modi’s version of the policy was sharper, more strategic, and unmistakably assertive. At the core of it was Southeast Asia, particularly the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Over the last decade, India has gone from a cautious observer to an active participant in Southeast Asia’s economic, security, and geopolitical framework. It has reaffirmed its support for ASEAN centrality and called for a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Modi’s just-concluded visit to Thailand for the BIMSTEC Summit is a timely reminder of how far the policy has come. There, India elevated its relationship with Thailand to a strategic partnership and announced the establishment of a “strategic dialogue" between their security agencies—signalling a new chapter in India’s security cooperation with a country it had long under-engaged. Despite Thailand being India’s eastern neighbour and Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy, it had not received its due space in Delhi’s strategic vision until now.

By drawing on the shared Hindu-Buddhist heritage of both nations, Modi effectively used cultural diplomacy to deepen ties. A key outcome was the Maritime Transport Agreement, which paves the way for India’s Northeast to access the Bay of Bengal via Southeast Asia. The India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway........

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