In a new policy memo for the Sigur Center's Rising Powers Initiative, Elliott School Research Professor Deepa Ollapally and Riddhi Likhe, an MA student in the Elliott School's International Affairs program, analyze the current state of India's Southeast Asia policy. The authors note that, "As India readies itself for the arrival of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto for the country’s Republic Day celebrations, its position in Southeast Asian power dynamics going into 2025 is still ambiguous at best."
The ASEAN Studies Centre's State of Southeast Asia 2024 Survey and the Lowy Institute’s Asia Power Index 2024 Edition both support that conclusion. The authors explain: "The Survey Report highlights a substantial absence of confidence in India among Southeast Asian nations, with 44.7% of survey respondents saying India lacks the capacity and political will for global leadership and is distracted by internal and sub-continental turmoil." Meanwhile, the Asia Power Index, "...identifies India as the third most powerful country in Asia... scoring below its rankings in 2018 and 2019. India’s ranking is particularly low in maintaining and developing regional trade relations and investment ties, as well as engaging with regional defense networks and global defense partnerships."
To learn more, including the authors' policy prescriptions, read the full memo on the Rising Powers Initiative's website.