Defence Minister Rajnath Singh departed New Delhi on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, for Cebu, Philippines, to lead India's delegation at the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), scheduled for 28–29 October. The two-day forum will centre on regional and international security challenges, with Singh expected to address participating nations and hold a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines.

India's Role at the Forum

Singh will represent India at the highest defence consultative platform within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) framework. Beyond the plenary sessions, he is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from several participating nations to review existing defence ties and identify new avenues for strategic cooperation.

Ahead of his departure, Singh posted on X: 'During my visit, I will also be holding several bilateral meetings with my counterparts from participating nations. These interactions will be a great opportunity to review our ongoing defence ties and explore new avenues to strengthen our strategic partnerships.' He also reaffirmed that India remains committed to strengthening regional security cooperation, promoting ASEAN centrality, and ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific under its Act East Policy.

What the ADMM-Plus Is

According to the Ministry of Defence, the ADMM-Plus brings together the 11 ASEAN member states — Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam — alongside eight Dialogue Partners: India, the United States, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. The forum has met annually since 2017 to deepen defence cooperation across this grouping.

India became a Dialogue Partner of ASEAN in 1992. The inaugural ADMM-Plus meeting was held in Hanoi, Vietnam, on 12 October 2010. The Philippines holds the chair of the ADMM-Plus in 2026.

India's Counter-Terrorism Co-Chair Role

India is currently co-chairing the Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism with Malaysia for the 2024–2027 cycle — a responsibility that underscores New Delhi's deepening institutional engagement within the ADMM-Plus architecture, beyond mere attendance at ministerial-level sessions.

This comes amid heightened attention to maritime security in the South China Sea and broader Indo-Pacific stability, issues that have gained sharper focus among ADMM-Plus partners in recent years. Notably, India's consistent participation since the forum's inception reflects a strategic continuity across successive governments, reinforcing its Act East Policy commitments.

Strategic Significance

The ADMM-Plus provides a rare multilateral setting where India sits at the same table as both the United States and China on defence cooperation matters — a diplomatic balancing act New Delhi has navigated carefully since joining the dialogue framework. India's bilateral engagements on the sidelines are expected to carry particular weight given the current geopolitical climate across the Indo-Pacific. The outcomes of those meetings are likely to shape the near-term trajectory of India's defence partnerships in Southeast Asia.