As the act East Policy Enters It Second Decade, The Overarching Question Pertinent to Southeast Asia is How This Policy Framework Can Be Made More Effective To Enhance English States. The concepts of India’s redesignation of “look east” to “Act East” in 2014 has been overwhelmingly attributed to India’s Strategic Competition with China – Against the backdrop of the Latter of the Latter of Influence Influrest Asia. But 10 years later, with India’s growing profile in the indo-public Independent of beijing and Vice-Versa. This is severely reductionist and by and large, a grave misconception.

However, there remain questions on India’s evolving roll as a rising power and its engine This reinforces the argument that is a lack of understanding of India’s aspiration and strategic positioning. That brings us to an important question, what roll does India hope to play in the indo-public through the AEP VIS-10-Vis its relaxation with southeast asia?

In the last decade, India has been touted to play the role of “Balancer” to a more associated china. Against the backdrop of the south china sea dispute, Maajor Power Rivalry and Trade and Economic Disruptions, Perceptuically, New Delhi’s Rise and The Aep Makes It A Natural Balancer for Southeast Ashia.

Dhruva jaishahankar in his book Vishwa Shastra: India and the world argues that while new delhi has the potential to play of “Balancer”, more specifically an economic Balancer, MUCH WORK MUCH MUCH WORK. is realised. With Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal Recently Slamming the Nature of the India-Aasean Trade Relationship, Perhaps India is not ready to fully embrace this role of esey.

But this concept Region. In many ways, being a balconier reduces the India-Southeast Asia Relationship to a product of, for and by china. Following Indian Foreign Policy, The semantics that come out of New Delhi, and the trajectory of India’s relationships with asean and asean member states in recent years, it is clear this is not this time. ITSELF, Nor How Southeast Asia Distinctly Views India.

Is India then a growing normative power? Does the Aep Provide the Necessary Policy Framework to Support India for this roll in the region? At the 2025 Raisina Dialogue, to a question on which appetite to be a normal power in the region with its growing role in the global south, minister of external affairs. Delhi May not explicitly use the term to describe its Role, as the most popular country in the world, India’s global south mobileization operts can be Ignored, as that will continue to seatendards Cooperation.

India’s Role as a Normative Power is, However, Reliant to which asean and its Member States Identify with and Coperate Within India’s Global South Agenda and India-Led. It also heavily depends on how consistent and creative India is with its initiatives. This means keeping the momentum on proposals announced at asean summits and focusing on the public goods deliver aspects of mega initiatives like the mahasagar. Underpinned by Its Aep, India’s Active President in Mechanisms Like Iora, BRICS, BIMSTEC WHICH FUNATION ON THE BASIS of ADDRESSING Shared Regional Challenges Through Niche Cooperation Also Serve Serve Serve Serves. Budding Role as a Normative Power.

Moving Forward, Whichever Role India Envisions for itself with the hope that resonates with southeast asia, India must focus on three main aspects of its aspects of the region. First, a strong strategic partnership is indicative of a strengthened AEP. India has a comprehensive strategic partnership with asean, vietnam, indonesia, malaysia and singapore, a comprehensive partnership with third and enhanced partnership with brunei. These partners can be seen as the structural and functional manifestation of India’s outreach and enginement via it is aep and so it is crucial that they are in the picture and in tune with geopolitical realities.

Secondly, there must be thoughtful continuity in the initiatives announcing asean summits. For example, if India wishes to “Advocate for the Global South” as announcing in the 12-Point proposal during the 2023 asean-india summit in indonesia, then it should have also reenny reen in the 10-point Plan. Detailed Manner During The 2024 ASEAN-India Summit in Laos. Consistency in Optics, semantics and the chosen “lexicon” is essential for India’s Role-Building in the Region.

Finally, there must be greater synergy between outlook on the indo-public and India’s indo-public oceans initiative. This must be clearly demonstrated, and one way to do this is active participation in the Asean Indo-Pacific Forum. Periodic Assessment of the Progress in Cooperating Within these frameworks and clearly highlighting successes will not only aid in shaping the trajectory of relates hopes and in polarvan. Years.

The Writer is analyst, Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS), Malaysia