From Ancient Bonds to Modern Partnership: Charting the Course of India-Southeast Asia Relations

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is India's fourth-largest trade partner, driven by ASEAN-India Free Trade Area (AIFTA) which covers goods, services and investment. Bilateral trade reached $121 billion in FY 2023-24. (Image:The Indian Express)

 Introduction: India shares robust and flourishing relations with Southeast Asia, with its roots stretching far back into history. In recent times, it has taken on multiple contours encompassing defence, trade and technology, accompanied by transformational changes in the regional and global landscape. 

Historical and Cultural Ties:

• Early Maritime Trade:

1. Ancient Indian texts refer to Southeast Asia as Suvarnabhumi (the Land of Gold) and Suvarnadvipa (the Island of Gold) which provide an insight into its abundant resources including spices, gold and other valuable commodities.
2. Trade existed between South Indian merchants and Southeast Asia. India exported textiles, precious stones and other manufactured products, in exchange for spices, gold and other goods.

• The Era of Indianization:

1. Hinduism became popular in many early kingdoms, influencing concepts of kingship, statecraft and social relations. The concept of good king (Devaraja) gained widespread currency throughout Southeast Asia, profoundly impacting its growth story.
2. The Theravada school of Buddhism became immensely popular in Southeast Asia, thanks to the efforts of Mauryan emperors like Ashoka. Today, it is a dominant religion in many Southeast Asian countries like Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.

• Art and Literature:

1. Indian art and architectural elements left a profound influence on Southeast Asia's native architectural styles, producing intricate structures as in Angkor Wat, Borobudur and Prambanan temples.
2. Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata were adapted and became central to the literary and performing arts traditions of Southeast Asia e.g the Thai version of the Ramayana is known as the Ramakien and the Cambodian version is the Reamker.

• The Rise and Fall of the Empires:

1. Powerful South Indian kingdoms such as the Cholas and the Pallavas had strong maritime ties with Southeast Asia. Rajendra Chola used the formidable navy, developed by his father Rajaraja Chola, to assert dominance in Southeast Asia.
2. Local Southeast Asian kingdoms like Funan (Cambodia), Sumatra (Sumatra, Indonesia) and Majapahit (Java, Indonesia) maintained cordial relations with India, due to their admiration for India's culture and tradition.

• The Colonial Era and Independence: 

1. The advent of European powers in 16th and 17th centuries distupted the deep-rooted historical ties between India and Southeast Asia as both came under colonial rule.
2. The historical ties were revived in mid-20th century after both regions gained independence from colonial rule. The Bandung Conference of 1955, held in Java, Indonesia set forth a new era of engagement between India and Southeast Asia.

Pillars of Cooperation:

• Economic and Commercial Cooperation:

1. Trade and Investment: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is India's fourth-largest trade partner, driven by ASEAN-India Free Trade Area (AIFTA) which covers goods, services and investment. Bilateral trade reached $121 billion in FY 2023-24.
2. Infrastructure and Digital Economy: India and Southeast Asian nations are exploring a range of infrastructure projects e.g India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway, Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project. Also, connectivity projects like India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Singapore's PayNow seek to promote digital economy.

• Strategic and Security Cooperation:

1. Maritime Security: India and Southeast Asia share common goals in terms of freedom of navigation and a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region. Cooperation includes joint naval exercises, coordinated patrols and intelligence sharing to combat piracy and terrorism.
2. Defense Cooperation: India has taken significant initiatives to strengthen defense cooperation through arms sales (such as the BrahMos missile deal with the Philippines), joint miltary training and defense industry collaboration.
3. Multilateral Forums: India's active participation in regional security forums like the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM+) contribute to regional security architecture.

• Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges:

1. Cultural Exchanges Programs: Initiatives like the ASEAN-India Music Festival foster a deep appreciation and understanding of each other's cultural values.
2. Education and Academia: India offers various scholarhsips and fellowship programs for students from ASEAN countries, including the PhD Fellowship in India for ASEAN (DIA) program. The revival of Nalanda University also aims at promoting academic and cultural exchange.
3. Tourism: Southeast Asia is a popular destination for the Indian tourists. Countries like Vietnam and Thailand witness significant footfall of Indian tourists every year. 

• Development and Capacity Building:

1. Quick Impact Projects (QIPs): These are small-scale, low-cost projects in areas like education, health and water resources that provide tangible benefits to local communities.
2. Training and Workshops: India provides training to professionals from these countries in areas like finance, IT and law enforcement to CLMV countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam).  

Challenges in India-Southeast Asia Relations:

• Economic and Trade Challenges:

1. Trade Imbalance: Though the ASEAN-India Free Trade Area (AIFTA) had significantly increased trade volumes, in recent times India has experienced widening trade deficit with Southeast Asia. 
2. Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs): Non-tariff barriers in Southeast Asian markets like complex regulatory requirements, stringent sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and technical barriers to trade make it difficult for Indian goods to access these markets.
3. Limited Economic Integration: Integration with the regional value chain in Southeast Asia remains limited, in contrast to China which has deeply embedded manufacturing and supply chains in the region e.g India's last minute withdrawal from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). 

• Geopolitical and Strategic Challenges:

1. The China Factor: China's overwhelming economic and strategic influence in Southeast Asia is a source of concern for India. As many Southeast Asian countries have deep economic ties with China, it often prevents them to engage in a strategic partnership with India.
2. QUAD and ASEAN Centrality: The revival of the QUAD forum has generated mixed feelings. While many Southeast Asian nations consider it as a positive step towards a free and open Indo-Pacific, others fear it could undermine ASEAN's centrality.
3. Political Instability in the Region: Internal political instability and conflicts pose significant challenges to India's connectivity projects and border management. The ongoing crisis in Myanmar has caused significant delays in the implementation of projects like the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway and the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project.

• Issues with Perception:

1. Perception of Diminished Influence: The perception that India is inward-looking, distracted by domestic issues, creates problems in engagement.
2. Gaps in People-to-People Connection: Modern day people-to-people connection has not reached their full potential due to lack of direct connectivity.

The Way Forward:

• Accelerate the connectivity projects to demonstrate India's commitment as a reliable partner. The success of Act East Policy hinges on the timely completion of key infrastructure projects.
• Actively seek to integrate into the regional value chains of Southeast Asia, particularly in sectors like electronics, pharmaceuticals and automobiles.
• Maintain ASEAN's centrality by actively participating in ASEAN-led forums like the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM+).
• Collaborate on non-traditional threats like terrorism, cybercrime, climate change and disaster management.
• Leverage the deep historical and cultural ties, especially with the Buddhist majority countries in Southeast Asia through initiative like the development of the Buddhist circuit and support for cultural exchange programs.

Conclusion: By adopting a comprehensive and pragmatic approach that addresses these key areas, India can move the relationship with Southeast Asia from being merely a strategic partnership to a truly integrated and mutually beneficial alliance for the 21st century.