India Backs ASEAN Centrality at the 13th ADMM-Plus in Cebu
India's Defence Minister led the Indian delegation at the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, Philippines, held on 28 and 29 October 2026. The Philippines is the ASEAN chair for 2026.
India restated its "unwavering commitment" to ASEAN centrality, calling it a cornerstone of India's Act East Policy and its Indo-Pacific vision. India also referred to its MAHASAGAR vision and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) of 2019.
India called for an "uncompromising, zero-tolerance approach" to states that support, train or fund terrorist groups, and offered to share its counter-terrorism experience through joint exercises, capacity building and intelligence sharing.
India proposed an "India-ASEAN Youth Bridge" to build people-to-people links, digital innovation and capacity building among young people.
On the sidelines, India held bilateral defence talks with the Philippines (maritime security and joint defence production), South Korea, Japan, the United States and Australia.
ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus): Asia's Defence Diplomacy Platform
The ADMM-Plus is a meeting where the defence ministers of the 11 ASEAN countries sit with the defence ministers of eight major partner countries. India is one of these eight partners. It lets these countries discuss security problems and run joint military training together. It is the main official meeting place for defence ministers in the Asia-Pacific region.
India used the Cebu meeting to push its counter-terrorism agenda, which fits its role as co-chair of the counter-terrorism working group. It also used the forum to meet five defence ministers on the sidelines in two days, which is one of the main practical uses of the ADMM-Plus for India.
ASEAN Centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP)
ASEAN centrality is the idea that ASEAN, the group of Southeast Asian countries, should sit at the centre of how the wider Asia-Pacific region is organised. Big powers like the US, China, India and Japan meet each other in forums that ASEAN created and ASEAN chairs. ASEAN sets the agenda, and its way of working (talk, consensus, no pressure) becomes the rule of the room. The ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), adopted in 2019, is ASEAN's own statement of how it sees the Indo-Pacific, with ASEAN centrality as its main principle.
At the 13th ADMM-Plus in Cebu, India called ASEAN centrality a cornerstone of its Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific vision. By backing ASEAN-led forums, India signals that it wants a region where no single power dominates. This also reassures ASEAN members that India's other groupings, such as the Quad, are not meant to sideline ASEAN.
Act East Policy
The Act East Policy is India's plan to build strong ties with countries to its east: Southeast Asia (especially ASEAN), East Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific. It covers trade, connectivity, culture and security. It grew out of the older Look East Policy of the early 1990s, which focused mainly on trade. Act East was announced in November 2014 and adds a stronger security and strategic side.
India linked its support for ASEAN centrality directly to its Act East Policy at the Cebu meeting. The defence talks with the Philippines, South Korea, Japan and Australia on the sidelines show the security side of Act East in action.
- 13th ADMM-Plus: Cebu, Philippines, 28-29 October 2026; Philippines is ASEAN chair for 2026
- ADMM-Plus: 11 ASEAN members + 8 partners; first meeting Hanoi, 12 October 2010; annual since 2017
- India and Malaysia co-chair the ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Group on Counter-Terrorism (2024-2027)
- New Indian proposal: India-ASEAN Youth Bridge
- AOIP adopted 23 June 2019 (34th ASEAN Summit, Bangkok)
- IPOI launched November 2019; MAHASAGAR announced March 2025
- India-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership: November 2022
- Act East Policy: announced November 2014