Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday offered to share India’s operational experience in counter-terrorism with ASEAN and other regional partners, citing Operation Sindoor as evidence of India’s battle-tested approach to tackling cross-border terrorism.
Addressing the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, the Philippines, Singh said India’s counter-terrorism expertise had been forged through decades of confronting complex security challenges, not acquired through theoretical training.
“Operation Sindoor decisively demonstrated India’s proactive, battle-tested doctrine,” he said, adding that India was prepared to strengthen regional capabilities through joint exercises, capacity-building programmes and intelligence-sharing.
India and Malaysia are co-chairing the ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Group on Counter-Terrorism for the 2024-27 cycle. Singh reiterated that terrorism transcended national boundaries and required coordinated regional action.
Emphasising ASEAN centrality and a rules-based Indo-Pacific, the minister said India’s engagement with Southeast Asian nations was anchored in mutual respect, shared interests and practical cooperation. He pointed to the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the Plan of Action for 2026-30 as key frameworks for expanding defence and security ties.
Maritime security and freedom of navigation
Singh highlighted maritime security as a priority, citing 2026 as the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation and the conduct of the second ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise.
He said the Indian Navy had maintained an uninterrupted operational presence in volatile waters, including the Gulf of Aden, since 2008. Indian warships had escorted thousands of merchant vessels and helped thwart dozens of hijackings, providing protection irrespective of a vessel’s flag or nationality, he said.
India would continue to act as a reliable net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region and the wider Indo-Pacific, Singh said, calling for sustained operational deployments and international cooperation to protect commercial shipping and global sea lanes.
He stressed that India’s advocacy of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), freedom of navigation and overflight was not directed against any country, but aimed at protecting the shared interests of regional stakeholders.
“India believes in an international system built on mutual trust, co-operation, and collective responsibility,” he said, invoking the meeting’s theme, ‘Navigating Our Future, Together’.
Proposal for defence ‘Youth Bridge’
Seeking to widen people-to-people links, Singh proposed a dedicated defence ‘Youth Bridge’ between India and ASEAN to promote institutional connectivity, digital innovation and capacity-building.
He said closer engagement among young people could contribute to regional peace, resilience and prosperity, aligning with the broader Youth, Peace and Security agenda.
Talks with South Korea and Singapore
On the sidelines of the meeting on October 28, Singh held separate bilateral talks with South Korean Defence Minister Kang Shin-chul and Singapore Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing, apart from Australian, Japanese, Philippine, South Korean and US counterparts.
With South Korea, discussions focused on expanding strategic cooperation, including military technology co-development, defence industry collaboration and maritime security. Both sides reiterated their interest in a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
In talks with Chan, Singh reviewed ongoing defence initiatives and explored ways to expand joint military exercises involving the armies, navies and air forces of both countries. He also invited his Singaporean counterpart to attend Aero India 2027, scheduled for February in Bengaluru, and congratulated Singapore on assuming the ADMM-Plus chair for 2027.
Team Bharatshakti
