India-ASEAN Defence Think Tank Forum Inaugural Meeting
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh addressed the maiden Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) - India Defence Think Tank Forum at Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) in New Delhi on October 14, 2026. The forum aims to strengthen strategic dialogue, promote joint analysis and identify practical avenues for enhanced defence and security cooperation between India and ASEAN, following the announcement made by Raksha Mantri during the second ASEAN-India Defence Ministers' Informal Meeting in Kuala Lumpur on October 31, 2025.
Singh articulated India's vision for an Indo-Pacific where all countries - large and small - can make their own choices, protect their interests and pursue development in peace. He emphasized that India and ASEAN share a clear interest in peace, stability, prosperity and an open & inclusive Indo-Pacific, with India's Act East policy and the visions of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) advocating for open and multipolar cooperation through ASEAN-led mechanisms.
The Raksha Mantri identified several borderless challenges facing the region, including growing strategic competition, pressure and uncertainty created through actions at sea, terrorism, cybercrime, piracy, trafficking, illegal fishing, climate-related disasters and risks to vital supply chains. He stressed that no country alone can address these challenges and called for building trust, respecting each other's sovereignty, following international law and keeping channels of dialogue open.
Maritime Cooperation and Defence Technology Focus
With 2026 designated as ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation, Singh proposed concrete areas for collaboration including improving maritime information sharing, strengthening cooperation among navies and coast guards, and building joint emergency response capabilities. He emphasized that strengthening maritime domain awareness, interoperability, and collaboration in underwater awareness will be key to ensuring a stable, rule-based maritime order.
On defence technology, Singh highlighted the increasing importance of Artificial Intelligence, drones, cyber capabilities and space-based systems, noting that recent conflicts have demonstrated relatively low-cost drones can challenge expensive defence systems. He pointed to India's Initiatives for Defence Excellence (iDEX) and Technology Development Fund (TDF) as models for collaboration with innovators on defence needs, suggesting joint work on counter-drone systems, cyber defence, maritime surveillance and disaster response.
Defence Industrial Cooperation and Practical Outcomes
Singh expressed India's readiness to explore cooperation with ASEAN partners in areas such as patrol vessels, radars, air-defence systems, helicopters, drones and other technologies according to each country's needs and priorities. He clarified that India's 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' initiative focuses on building stronger domestic capabilities but does not mean working in isolation, creating opportunities for trusted partners to design, build, maintain and improve equipment together through co-development, co-production, maintenance, repair and overhaul, training and long-term technical support.
The Raksha Mantri also emphasized Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) as a crucial area for enhanced cooperation, suggesting it should be a regular part of defence dialogue to address cyclones, floods, rising sea levels and extreme weather events that can damage ports, disrupt trade and threaten lives and livelihoods.
For the think tank forum, Singh suggested several practical outcomes including development of a joint India-ASEAN research agenda on maritime security, cyber threats, emerging technologies, disaster response and defence-industry cooperation; regular exchanges among researchers through fellowships, visiting programmes and joint publications; identification of pilot projects such as tabletop exercises on maritime disaster response or joint studies on counter-drone solutions; promotion of Track 1.5 and Track 2 dialogues; and preparation of concise recommendations with progress review mechanisms.
The two-day forum programme will deliberate on strategic stability, regional geopolitics, maritime security, grey-zone challenges, HADR, maritime domain awareness, defence technology, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, space, unmanned systems, defence industry collaboration and resilient supply chains, with discussions expected to contribute to a stronger ASEAN-India defence partnership.