Paper short abstract:

The Delhi Dialogue IV of 2012 envisaged India and ASEAN as partners for peace, progress and stability. The paper is about tracing and analysing the footsteps that led to contemporary India-ASEAN relations.

Paper long abstract:

The Delhi Dialogue IV of 2012 envisaged India and ASEAN as partners for peace, progress and stability. Equally important was the evolving security architecture in the Asia-Pacific and finally the building networks of knowledge and science.

India's foreign policy, crafted with the background of two super powers asserting themselves was to find its own role and emerge as a truly independent nation with a truly independent foreign policy. The establishment of an Indian decision making structure was built upon an idealistic and moral principle, of the world around. Non-alignment became the main pillar of Indian foreign policy.

The liberal reforms of 1991 brought out a new thinking with its 'looking towards the East'. India not only began looking eastwards but also acting on it.

India emerged in the 1990s with a fresh approach in its foreign policy objectives and willingly established ties with ASEAN nations. India became a sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1992. In 1995 India was invited to become a full partner. In 1996 the Asian Regional Forum included Indian membership; annual meetings have been held since 1992.

India's democratic and secular values, English speaking professionals, handicrafts, food and its vast movie industry constitute considerable soft power in the country's policy and relations with ASEAN. Education networks in medicine, sciences, and social sciences enhance the ties. Moreover the Indian diaspora is a crucial actor in India's influence. 6.7million people of Indian origin live in Southeast Asia, sending home increasing amounts of remittances.