Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 29 October 2026 told the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, Philippines, that India's counter-terrorism expertise has been forged not in classrooms but through decades of confronting cross-border security threats — and that every strategy deployed has been validated in real-time operations. The address placed India's hard-won operational experience at the centre of its pitch for deeper regional security cooperation.

Operation Sindoor as a Case Study

Singh cited Operation Sindoor — conducted by Indian armed forces last year — as a defining illustration of New Delhi's approach. The operation, he said, dismantled a substantial portion of terrorist infrastructure and served as 'a clear statement of India's firm stance against state-sponsored terror.' It is the first time the government has formally invoked Operation Sindoor in a multilateral defence forum to frame India's counter-terrorism credentials.

Singh emphasised that India's experience is 'not just limited to theoretical or classroom knowledge, but has been attained by facing cross-border security challenges for decades,' adding that 'every strategy is tested in real-time situations and has been successful.'

India-ASEAN Counter-Terrorism Framework

Singh noted that counter-terrorism is an 'important area' of cooperation under the ADMM-Plus structure. For the 2024–2027 cycle, India and Malaysia are co-chairing the Experts' Working Group on Counter-Terrorism — a pairing that reflects the growing institutional depth of India's ASEAN defence ties. He reaffirmed commitment to the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the ASEAN-India Plan of Action 2026–2030, both of which were endorsed at the 2nd ASEAN-India Defence Ministers' Informal Meeting held in Kuala Lumpur in October 2025.

India, Singh said, is fully prepared to share its 'practical and battle-tested counter-terrorism experience' through joint military exercises, capacity-building programmes, and intelligence sharing.

Maritime Security: India as Net Security Provider

A substantial portion of Singh's address focused on maritime security — a domain he framed as inseparable from regional peace and prosperity. He pointed to the Indian Navy's uninterrupted presence in the Gulf of Aden since 2008, during which it has escorted thousands of merchant vessels and thwarted multiple hijacking attempts, as evidence of India's role as a 'trusted net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region and the wider Indo-Pacific.'

'Merely issuing statements regarding maritime security is not enough,' Singh said, underscoring that India's commitment is operational, not rhetorical. He stressed adherence to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and said India's advocacy for freedom of navigation and overflight 'is not directed against any country' but aimed at protecting collective regional interests.

Singh also highlighted that 2026 has been declared the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation, with the 2nd ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise already conducted as part of that framework.

Youth Bridge Proposal and Regional Vision

Singh proposed the establishment of a defence 'Youth Bridge' framework to foster people-to-people connectivity, digital innovation, and capacity building across ASEAN and India — aligning with the meeting's joint statement theme of 'Youth, Peace and Security.' He argued that India and ASEAN share a demographic advantage — comparatively young populations — that creates a natural convergence of long-term interests.

He articulated India's vision of an Indo-Pacific that is 'open, inclusive, and based on a rules-based international order,' anchored in what he described as the civilisational ethos of 'Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah' — a Sanskrit phrase meaning the welfare and happiness of all. The meeting's overarching theme, 'Navigating Our Future Together,' was cited by Singh as deeply resonant with India's own foreign and defence policy orientation.

What the Address Signals

This is a notable escalation in the assertiveness of India's multilateral defence diplomacy. By invoking Operation Sindoor in a formal ASEAN forum and positioning India as a net security provider — not merely a participant — New Delhi is staking a larger claim in the Indo-Pacific security architecture at a time of heightened regional tensions. The next test will be whether this diplomatic momentum translates into binding cooperation commitments under the 2026–2030 Plan of Action.