PM Modi at ASEAN Summit: “21st Century Belongs to India and ASEAN”; Calls for Deeper Strategic, Economic and Maritime Cooperation

Addressing the 22nd India-ASEAN Summit virtually from New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the India-ASEAN partnership as a pillar of peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. He reaffirmed India’s commitment to ASEAN centrality, unity, and sustainable development, while announcing new initiatives in trade, maritime cooperation, renewable energy, and tourism. The Prime Minister also called for a united stand against terrorism and proposed stronger defence and disaster-relief collaboration, underscoring India’s role as a first responder in regional crises.

Kuala Lumpur, Oct 2025 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday declared that “the 21st century is our century — the century of India and ASEAN,” during his virtual address to the 22nd India-ASEAN Summit, hosted by Malaysia. Emphasizing the deep historical, cultural, and civilizational ties uniting the two regions, the Prime Minister called the India-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership a cornerstone of global stability and prosperity.

Speaking from New Delhi, PM Modi marked his 12th consecutive participation in the annual summit, which provides a key platform for leaders to review bilateral progress and chart new directions for collaboration. In his opening remarks, he extended warm congratulations to Timor-Leste, formally inducted as ASEAN’s 11th member, assuring India’s full support for its human resource development and integration into the regional framework.

Reaffirming India’s unwavering commitment to ASEAN unity and centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, Modi praised the adoption of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, describing it as a roadmap for inclusive regional progress. On economic cooperation, he urged a speedy review of the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement (AITIGA) to unlock the partnership’s full potential, benefiting over two billion people and strengthening collective resilience in a rapidly changing global economy.

Condemning terrorism as a “grave menace to global peace,” the Prime Minister called for coordinated international efforts to eradicate the threat. Aligning with Malaysia’s summit theme of “Inclusivity and Sustainability,” Modi unveiled a range of new initiatives under the ASEAN-India Plan of Action (2026–2030) and announced that 2026 would be observed as the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation, focusing on blue-economy partnerships and sustainable ocean governance.

He proposed convening the Second ASEAN-India Defence Ministers’ Meeting and a Second ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise, aimed at enhancing regional security and freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific. Reiterating India’s readiness to act as a first responder in humanitarian and disaster-relief operations, he emphasized the importance of strengthening preparedness through collaborative mechanisms for HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief).

Modi also unveiled a programme to train 400 ASEAN professionals in renewable energy technologies, supporting the ASEAN Power Grid initiative and energy transition goals. India’s Quick Impact Projects will now extend to Timor-Leste, while a Centre for Southeast Asian Studies will be established at Nalanda University to foster academic and cultural exchange.

The Prime Minister highlighted growing cooperation in education, science, fintech, semiconductors, infrastructure, rare earths, and critical minerals, and announced that India will host the East Asia Summit Maritime Heritage Festival at Lothal, Gujarat, along with an international conference on maritime security.

Expressing gratitude to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for facilitating the virtual format, Modi also thanked the Philippines for its effective role as country coordinator. Offering condolences on the passing of Thailand’s Queen Mother Sirikit, he underlined that India and ASEAN — together representing nearly a quarter of the world’s population — are united by shared values, geography, and an enduring civilizational bond.

With bilateral trade crossing $120 billion in 2024 and both sides seeking to deepen engagement in climate resilience, supply-chain security, and sustainable growth, the summit reflected a maturing partnership shaping the future of the Indo-Pacific.