India & ASEAN

India's relationship with ASEAN

"You cannot have peace without security, and you cannot have security without inclusive development"

— KOFI ANNAN

The partnership between India and ASEAN has evolved as a cornerstone of our foreign strategy. India's desire for a comprehensive engagement with ASEAN results from significant developments in the world's political and economic development during the early 1990s and India's march toward economic liberalization. With the announcement of the Act-East Policy at the 12th Summit in 2014, the India-ASEAN strategic partnership gained a new impetus. 

The series of encounters with Southeast Asian leaders gave India's Act East Policy more clout. All of the discussions aimed to increase India's political, economic, and strategic engagement with ASEAN. It indicates India's intention to increase its interaction with ASEAN member states. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Philippines in early November 2017 to attend the 15th India-ASEAN Summit and the 12th East Asia Summit.

 In India's relationship with ASEAN, there are four major challenges. The first obstacle is China, followed by a challenge with ASEAN, a connectivity issue with ASEAN, and a worldwide demand to get involved in the region. 

• The first obstacle is the China Factor: 

India's challenging challenge in the Indo-Pacific area is stabilising its relations with China. China is India's largest commercial partner, but it also poses a significant defensive danger. There are uncertain border concerns. The primary concerns in India-China relations are the competition for resources and markets in Asia, Africa, and South America, China's all-encompassing agenda, and disagreements about One Belt One Road (OBOR) and the accompanying CPEC.

 • Challenging issue with ASEAN: 

The challenging benefit is India's second major challenge. India's monetary formation is tied to Southeast Asian countries in ways such as agricultural dominance, inexpensive people resources, natural resource availability, etc. Furthermore, these nations share concerns about patents, labour laws, dumping, converged marine borders, trafficking, and terrorist  operations. They are a stumbling block in the formation of economic and trade alliances with India and ASEAN.

 • Connectivity with ASEAN:

 India's third problem is connectivity with ASEAN. The scary Himalayas in the North-Eastern States and Myanmar, the limited zone of the Malacca Strait, the geographical setting of landmass and oceans, and small island states' inability to invest in connectivity projects have all hampered India's engagement with the region. 

• Global Pressure:

 Another hurdle for India is the global pressure to have a partnership with ASEAN. The Indian Maritime Doctrine advanced on the shift in global maritime focus from the Atlantic-Pacific region to the Indo-Pacific region in the year 2004. India's vision for the Indo-Pacific area exemplifies the growing cooperation with states outside the ASEAN region. There are adequate trappings for India's interaction with the ASEAN area. As a result, India should neither dictate nor be dictated to when interacting with the ASEAN region. 

The ASEAN-India cooperation has numerous advantages. In India, there is concern that the agreement will harm the economy. The two areas hope to reduce tariffs on the majority of their traded items. This will allow them to expand their product's market access. India will not have as much market access to ASEAN countries as ASEAN will have in India. The ASEAN countries' economies are mostly export-driven, with high export-to-GDP ratios. Malaysia had a ratio of more than 100% in 2007. 

In addition to the global financial crisis and India's vast domestic market, ASEAN countries anxiously await India as a destination for their goods. To reduce the losses that occur during the initial stages of trade, the Indian government must successfully reallocate some of the wealth to those industries that face the brunt of greater rivalry with ASEAN markets. Overall welfare gains in India would increase, and trade with ASEAN would eventually benefit India

THANK YOU 
~abhisht