Defence cooperation in focus as India and the Philippines strengthen ties

This August, the visit of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to India marked a historic milestone in the relations between the two nations. The President’s visit, which took place between August 4-8, was the first such state visit since 2007.

On August 5, India and the Philippines formally elevated their ties to a Strategic Partnership, backed by a comprehensive bilateral Plan of Action (2025-2029) signed in New Delhi.

In all, 13 memoranda and agreements were signed during Marcos Jr’s visit. The partnership spans defence, maritime cooperation, trade, digital technologies, tourism, space cooperation, culture and science.

However, the transition from a prolonged historic stasis to the current phase of strategic dynamism has not been sudden. While India and the Philippines established bilateral diplomatic relations in 1949, thanks to Cold War politics, for decades, their partnership remained largely symbolic – anchored in mutual goodwill but unfulfilled potential.

Initial limitations were rooted in geographical distance, divergent regional priorities and systemic constraints. Over time, however, India’s Look East policy, re-branded in 2014 as the Act East policy, began paving the way for more meaningful engagement through ASEAN frameworks, and India’s initiatives such as the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative and Security and Growth for All in the Region, whose acronym SAGAR means ocean in multiple Indian languages.

This was upgraded to MAHASAGAR, meaning the...

Read more