A Decade of India's Act East Policy: A Renewed Regional Vision

At a seminar organised by the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) on April 14, 2025, in New Delhi, Ms. Nabanita Chakrabarty, Joint Secretary of the Indo-Pacific Division, Ministry of External Affairs, stressed upon India’s Act East Policy—a policy that has, over the past decade, emerged as a cornerstone of India’s regional diplomacy and Indo-Pacific vision.

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Recounting the genesis of the Act East Policy, Ms. Chakrabarty noted that while India’s “Look East” outreach began in 1992, it was in 2014 that the initiative gained renewed momentum. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the transformation from Look East to Act East signalled a shift from aspiration to action. “This marked a pivotal moment that brought a more proactive, practical, and partnership-driven focus to our engagement with ASEAN and the wider Indo-Pacific,” she emphasised.

Over the past decade, the policy has not only re-energised India’s historic ties with Southeast Asia but has also expanded the scope of regional cooperation. Central to this vision has been the emphasis on ASEAN centrality and the launch of the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) in 2019—an initiative that Ms. Chakrabarty highlighted as having “gained significant traction” since its inception.