Secretary, East, in the Ministry of External Affairs, Rudendra Tandon today released the third edition of the ASEAN-India Development and Cooperation Report (AIDCR) 2026, titled “Navigating Global Uncertainties and Strengthening Partnerships” in New Delhi. The report offers several practical policy suggestions to further advance cooperation between India and ASEAN member states, particularly in the areas of trade and maritime cooperation. In his address, Mr Tandon said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a visit to Manila to attend the 23rd ASEAN – India Summit where he will discuss various ways and means to further strengthen INDIA-ASEAN ties. Mr Tandon said that in addition to India’s active bilateral relations with all eleven ASEAN member States, India also considers its engagement with the ASEAN regional platform as a key element of building block of its Act East Policy.
Mr Tandon said that India has prioritised maritime domain activities in its engagement and collaboration with ASEAN. He said India has much to offer in areas such as maritime safety, security and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), which can help the ASEAN grouping, particularly in its activities that it undertakes under its Political and Security pillar. He emphasised that stronger strategic and economic ties would enhance the capacity of both sides to navigate growing global uncertainties. Addressing the event Director general of RIS Sachin Kumar Sharma emphasised the need to translate the economic and strategic complementarities between ASEAN and India into tangible outcomes. He observed that the substantial expansion in bilateral trade had not been accompanied by comparable integration in regional production networks.
