Context: Despite the best intentions of an Act East Policy, India’s standing and image in Southeast Asia have suffered.
Evolution of India’s approach towards South-East Asia:
Challenges to India’s Act East Policy: 3 developments are testing Indian diplomacy in the region -
Implications: This has weakened the business-to-business (B2B) and people-to-people (P2P) connect between India and ASEAN despite the best efforts to maintain good government-to-government (G2G) relations.
Way Forward: Indian diplomacy must take a fresh look at its Act East policy and the constraints being imposed on it by unsatisfactory economic performance and sectarian and communal politics at home.