Last Updated:November 15, 2026, 19:17 IST
PM Modi will travel to the Philippine capital on November 16-17 for 23rd ASEAN-India Summit and 21st East Asia Summit, with maritime cooperation, trade, 2027 milestones on agenda
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Manila on November 16 and 17 to attend the 23rd ASEAN-India Summit and the 21st East Asia Summit (EAS). The Philippines, which chairs ASEAN this year, will host both summits on November 17.
The visit is on the invitation of Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. It will be PM Modi’s 13th ASEAN-India Summit since 2014, which reflects how much weight New Delhi places on the partnership. Last year, he joined the summit in Kuala Lumpur virtually.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, PM Modi’s programme includes a dinner hosted by President Marcos for visiting leaders on the eve of the summits, along with bilateral meetings on the sidelines. Officials have said they are also trying to fit in a meeting with the Indian community in the Philippines.
MARITIME COOPERATION IN FOCUS
The visit comes in a year India and ASEAN have declared the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation. The aim is to deepen ties in maritime security, maritime safety, connectivity and the blue economy.
There has been a lot of activity this year. The second ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise took place from September 28 to October 2. Navy chiefs and delegations from nine ASEAN member states attended MILAN 2026, the International Fleet Review and the 9th IONS Conclave of Chiefs in Visakhapatnam in February. India also hosted the 7th EAS Conference on Maritime Security Cooperation in Kochi on October 5-6, a flagship initiative it has run since 2015.
On defence, the inaugural ASEAN-India Defence Think Tank Forum was held at MP-IDSA in New Delhi on October 14-15. India recently trained women peacekeepers from ASEAN countries. Port calls by Indian Navy ships, joint exercises and exports of Indian defence equipment to the region have all increased.
WHAT THE SUMMITS WILL COVER
At the ASEAN-India Summit, leaders will review the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), including how the ASEAN-India Plan of Action 2026-2030 is being implemented. They are also expected to identify new areas for cooperation, including disaster resilience, trade and investment, digital transformation, connectivity and development partnership.
Summits like this usually end with announcements of practical initiatives and programmes to strengthen cooperation and institutional links with the region.
At the East Asia Summit, PM Modi will engage leaders on regional and global issues and restate India’s commitment to an open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific. New Delhi will stress freedom of navigation and respect for international law, including UNCLOS. It is also expected to push for closer cooperation against terrorism, transnational crime, cyber-enabled fraud, human trafficking, drug trafficking and money laundering.
A RELATIONSHIP BUILT OVER THREE DECADES
India and ASEAN started Dialogue Relations in 1992. Ties were upgraded to a Strategic Partnership in 2012 and to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022. ASEAN is the cornerstone of India’s Act East Policy and a key pillar of its Indo-Pacific vision. More than 40 dialogue mechanisms, led by various Indian ministries, now connect the two sides.
This year is also the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. India was among the first ASEAN Dialogue Partners to sign it. The Philippines’ chairmanship theme for 2026 is “Navigating Our Future, Together".
DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP IN NUMBERS
More than 100 projects worth $35 million have been funded since 2014 through the ASEAN-India Fund, the Green Fund and the Fund for Digital Future.
$10 million has gone into the ASEAN-India Science and Technology Development Fund, supporting 120 joint R&D projects and 220 research fellows.
237 Quick Impact Projects have been approved in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam under the Mekong Ganga Cooperation mechanism.
More than 500 ASEAN students have received scholarships at Nalanda University. A Centre for South East Asian Studies there is now operational.
ASEAN member states have used 10,235 ITEC training slots: 6,948 civilian and 3,287 defence.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2027
The Manila visit also sets up a milestone year. 2027 marks 35 years of ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations and five years of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and ASEAN itself turns 60.
