Act East Policy
India's Act East Policy is the evolved successor to the "Look East Policy" launched in 1991 under Prime Minister Narasimha Rao. The shift from "Look" to "Act" was announced by PM Modi at the East Asia Summit in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, in November 2014, signalling a move from passive engagement to proactive economic and strategic integration with Southeast Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific. Its core framework rests on the "4 Cs": Culture, Commerce, Connectivity, and Capacity Building. ASEAN remains the centrepiece, with India-ASEAN ties elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022.
- Launched as Look East Policy in 1991; rebranded as Act East Policy in 2014.
- Covers ASEAN nations, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and increasingly Pacific island states.
- Institutional anchor: India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (goods, 2010); services/investment agreements followed.
- Connects to domestic northeast India development via BIMSTEC and India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway.
● Tracked since July 06, 2026 · last seen July 06, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
See it in today’s brief.
Daily current affairs with every static concept explained in place.
Read the daily brief