Act East: India's outreach shows its centrality to regional stability

External affairs minister S. Jaishankar's three-nation tour to Southeast Asia last month amid an election cycle in India underscores the critical role this region plays in New Delhi's aspiration to emerge as a critical anchor in the Indo-Pacific. India's relationship with Southeast Asia is marked by historical, cultural and economic ties that have evolved over centuries, shaping the diplomatic landscape of the region. Geopolitically, India's 'Look East' policy, initiated in the early 1990s and later reconfigured as the 'Act East' policy, demonstrates its commitment to deepening engagement with the region. Yet, as a recent survey published by the ASEAN Studies…