Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr arrived in India on Monday afternoon, commencing a landmark five-day state visit that exemplifies the transformation of India-Philippines relations under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

Welcomed by Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita at Palam Air Force Station, Marcos’s arrival coincides with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties and marks the first visit by a Filipino president to India since 2007.

The timing is particularly significant, as Indian Navy warships conduct their first-ever joint maritime exercises with Philippine forces in the contested South China Sea.

This historic visit reflects Modi’s outreach to the Philippines since 2014, focusing on a broader Indo-Pacific vision that combines economic partnerships with security cooperation, moving beyond traditional alliance structures to embrace strategic autonomy.

The bilateral relationship showcases Modi’s multi-alignment strategy, demonstrating how maritime security cooperation, defence technology transfer, and trade expansion can advance India’s pragmatic approach to regional leadership while maintaining strategic independence from great power rivalries.

Modi’s announcement of the Act East Policy in November 2014 at Myanmar’s ASEAN Summit marked a decisive shift in India’s approach to Southeast Asia. Unlike the economically focused Look East Policy of 1992, the Act East framework embodied a comprehensive strategy encompassing security, defence, and strategic dimensions alongside commercial interests. This transformation proved particularly significant for the Philippines’ relations, which had remained relatively dormant despite seven decades of diplomatic ties established in 1949.

The timing of this strategic pivot proved prescient. China’s increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea created space for India to position itself as a balancing power committed to maritime security and a rules-based order. The Act East Policy enabled Modi to leverage India’s growing economic strength and defence capabilities to establish meaningful partnerships with........

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