Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Manila, the Philippines, on November 16-17 to participate in the 23rd ASEAN-India Summit and the 21st East Asia Summit (EAS), underlining India’s continued commitment to strengthening its engagement with Southeast Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific region.
The visit comes at the invitation of Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and coincides with the Philippines’ chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2026.
Briefing media in New Delhi on Thursday, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs Rudrendra Tandon said the Prime Minister’s visit reflects the growing importance India attaches to its partnership with ASEAN, which remains a central pillar of the country’s Act East Policy.
According to the MEA, Prime Minister Modi’s programme in Manila will begin with a dinner hosted by President Marcos on November 16.
On the following day, he will participate in the ASEAN-India Summit and the East Asia Summit.
The ASEAN-India Summit is expected to review progress in the implementation of the India-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including the ASEAN-India Plan of Action 2026-2030, and discuss future avenues of cooperation.
The East Asia Summit, meanwhile, will provide an opportunity for leaders to exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual concern.
The visit assumes added significance as India and ASEAN are observing 2026 as the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation.
Both sides are also preparing to mark 35 years of Dialogue Relations and five years of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2027.
Tandon said India considers its engagement with ASEAN both collectively and bilaterally as a key building block of its Act East Policy.
He noted that ASEAN has evolved into a mature regional institution and today serves as an important driver of peace, stability and economic growth in the Indo-Pacific.
India maintains active bilateral relations with all ASEAN member states and engages with the grouping at multiple levels, including through regular interactions among Heads of Government.
The Prime Minister’s visit, Tandon said, is an important reflection of this sustained engagement.
Highlighting the growing economic dimension of the partnership, he said India’s trade with ASEAN currently stands at around USD 122 billion.
New Delhi believes a strong strategic relationship with the ASEAN member states, both individually and collectively, delivers mutual benefits and contributes to regional prosperity and stability.
The Manila meetings are expected to reaffirm India’s commitment to ASEAN centrality and further deepen cooperation across areas ranging from trade and connectivity to maritime security and regional development.
