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DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20261014T080000
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SUMMARY:ASEAN–India Defence Think Tank Forum 2026
DESCRIPTION:About the Conference\nConcept Note\nProgramme\nCore Team\n\n\n\n\nAbout the Conference\nThe maiden ASEAN–India Defence Think Tank Forum\, being held at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA)\, marks an important institutional step in strengthening intellectual and policy-level engagement between India and ASEAN member states in the field of defence and security. The initiative follows the announcement made by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh during the second ASEAN–India Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting in Kuala Lumpur on 31 October 2025\, on the sidelines of the 12th ADMM-Plus. The initiative was envisaged as a platform to deepen defence and security cooperation and advance India’s Act East Policy.  \nThe inaugural Forum brings together representatives from all 11 ASEAN Member States and India. This includes policymakers\, representatives of the armed forces\, heads of leading think tanks and subject experts. It provides a platform for meaningful exchange of perspectives on key issues concerning regional security and defence cooperation\, defence technology and innovation\, maritime security\, and the evolving strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific. The discussions seek to strengthen mutual understanding and identify avenues for greater cooperation while placing ASEAN centrality at the heart of the India–ASEAN security partnership. The Forum also reflects India’s continued commitment to a free\, open\, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific and to deepening its strategic engagement with ASEAN through sustained policy dialogue and institutionalised defence cooperation. \n\nDates14 – 15 October 2026\nCityNew Delhi\, India\nOrganiserMP-IDSA\nVenueMP-IDSA Auditorium\n\n\n\n\n\nConcept Note\n \nThe  ASEAN–India Defence Think Tank Forum is proposed as a Track-1.5/2.0 platform  connecting strategic research communities with defence policymakers and  practitioners from ASEAN member states and India. The forum will foster joint  analysis and produce implementable recommendations to strengthen cooperation  across contiguous maritime and technological theatres of the Indo-Pacific. ASEAN  and India represent pivotal anchors of the Global South whose traditions  emphasise multipolarity\, non-interference\, and inclusive regionalism.  Intensifying major-power competition\, grey-zone coercion\, and the  militarisation of emerging domains are compressing the autonomy of middle  powers. In this context\, sustained intellectual partnership between ASEAN and  India is essential to reinforce ASEAN centrality\, lend analytical depth to  India’s Act East policy\, and safeguard a rules-based order from polarisation. \n  The  forum will:  \n\nAssess the strategic trajectory of  ASEAN–India defence cooperation. \nIdentify practical collaboration in  maritime domain awareness (MDA)\, naval cooperation and interoperability\, and  protection of sea lanes linking the Indian Ocean with Southeast Asian waters. \nPromote cooperation in defence technology  and innovation: AI\, cyber defence\, unmanned systems\, space-based ISR\, supported  by resilient supply chains. \nExamine India’s emergence as a credible  defence export and MRO partner for Southeast Asia.\n\nSession  Outlay and Panel Questions \nSession  1: Strategic Stability and Regional Geopolitics \nContext:  The Indo-Pacific is witnessing a reassertion of power balancing alongside  coercive activities below the threshold of war. ASEAN’s Outlook on the  Indo-Pacific seeks to maintain unity and its convening role; India’s Act East  policy and SAGAR and MAHASAGAR vision advocate open\, multipolar cooperation.  Aligning these approaches through ASEAN-led mechanisms: ADMM-Plus\, EAS\, ARF\,  with IORA\, BIMSTEC interface is critical to preserve strategic space for middle  powers. \nPanel  Questions  \n\nHow do ASEAN and India assess the  strategic landscape of the current fractured global order? What are the convergences  and divergences in threat perception? \nHow do both sides look at the future of  the Indo Pacific and the role of external powers in an era of poly-crises? \nIndia’s Act East policy and Indo Pacific  vision complement ASEAN’s Outlook on the Indo-Pacific\, what areas need  prioritisation? \nWhat mechanisms can ensure inclusive and  balanced regional security frameworks?  \n\nObjective:  develop coordinated assessments and habits of consultation on regional  architecture and grey-zone challenges. \n Session  2: India ASEAN Maritime Cooperation amidst Grey Zone Challenges  \n Context: The  maritime domain is increasingly shaped by grey zone coercion —actions below  armed conflict that gradually shift the strategic balance. These include  maritime militias\, coercive law enforcement\, illegal resource exploitation\, and  information operations\, often overlapping with piracy\, trafficking\, and illegal  fishing. For India and ASEAN\, this presents both challenges and opportunities.  It underscores the need to deepen maritime cooperation through regional  platforms\, joint exercises\, and initiatives like the Indo-Pacific Oceans  Initiative (IPOI). Strengthening Maritime Domain Awareness\, interoperability\,  and collaboration in areas such as disaster response and underwater awareness  will be key to ensuring a stable\, rules-based maritime order. \n  Panel  Questions:  \n\nHow should India and ASEAN conceptualize  grey zone coercion in the maritime domain\, and how does it intersect with  non-traditional maritime threats?  \nWhat are the key operational\, legal\, and  capacity-related challenges in detecting\, attributing\, and responding to grey  zone activities in the Indo Pacific? \nTo what extent are current regional  mechanisms and platforms sufficient in addressing these challenges\, and where  do critical gaps remain? \nWhat practical measures can India and  ASEAN adopt to enhance maritime cooperation—particularly in areas such as  domain awareness\, interoperability\, joint exercises\, and emerging security  sectors? \nHow can India and ASEAN deepen  collaboration to counter grey zone coercion while preserving regional  stability\, ASEAN centrality\, and a rules-based maritime order? \n\nObjective: identify  interoperable MDA\, capacity building\, and critical-infrastructure protection. \nSession  3: HADR Cooperation in the Maritime Domain  \n> \nContext: As  ASEAN and India deepen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership\, climate  change is emerging as a critical dimension of maritime cooperation. With  extensive coastlines and shared dependence on the Indo-Pacific’s maritime  domain\, both face growing risks from sea-level rise\, extreme weather events\,  and climate-induced disruptions to infrastructure\, livelihoods\, and maritime  boundaries. These challenges are no longer environmental alone—they are  increasingly linked to maritime security\, humanitarian response\, and regional  stability. Existing mechanisms such as defence dialogues\, maritime exercises\,  and ASEAN-led platforms provide a strong foundation to integrate climate  considerations into security frameworks. \n  Panel  Questions:  \n\nHow is climate change reshaping maritime  security dynamics for ASEAN and India\, and what are the most pressing shared  risks?\nHow can ASEAN–India maritime cooperation  evolve to better integrate climate action\, including resilience-building\,  disaster response\, and sustainable maritime practices?\nHow can current mechanisms—such as  ASEAN-led platforms\, joint exercises\, and defence cooperation—be adapted to  incorporate climate-related priorities more effectively? \nWhat concrete steps can be taken to  improve climate intelligence sharing\, joint preparedness\, infrastructure  resilience\, and capacity building in the maritime domain?\nHow can ASEAN and India institutionalise  climate cooperation in the maritime domain to strengthen long-term regional  stability and support a sustainable Indo-Pacific?\n\nObjective: propose  frameworks for capacity building\, and coordinated resilience. \nSession  4 – Preparing for disruption: Defence Technology & Innovation  Cooperation Context: The landscape of modern conflict is  being radically transformed by the integration of AI-enabled decision tools\,  cyber operations\, autonomous platforms\, and space-based ISR. Recent theatres of  conflict in Eastern Europe and West Asia have provided sobering lessons on the  limitations of traditional\, high-cost air defence systems when faced with  massed\, low-cost saturation attacks. The proliferation of loitering munitions  and FPV (First Person View) drones has shifted the focus toward asymmetric  innovation\, where the "cost-exchange ratio" often changes battle  outcomes. For India and ASEAN\, this underscores an urgent need for  collaborative R&D in Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS)\, electronic  warfare\, and directed-energy weapons to safeguard sovereign assets against evolving  grey-zone threats. To address these evolving threats\, involving agile\,  private-sector-led ecosystems could be the way forward. India’s iDEX model and  Make in India reforms offer a template for engaging start-ups and MSMEs in  rapid prototyping and localizing high-tech defence solutions. Establishing a  collaborative "innovation-first" framework between India and ASEAN  can foster joint R&D and secure supply chains for emerging technologies. \n  Panel  Questions:  \n\nHow have the lessons from Ukraine and West  Asia regarding saturation attacks and the vulnerabilities of traditional air  defence systems altered regional threat perceptions in India and ASEAN? \nGiven the high cost of interceptors versus  the low cost of drones\, what innovative anti-drone (C-UAS) technologies should  India and ASEAN prioritize for joint development?  \nHow can the iDEX model of challenge-based  innovation be adapted to create a cross-border ecosystem for Indian and ASEAN  start-ups? \nWhat role can private-sector start-ups  play in accelerating the "lab-to-field" transition for dual-use  technologies like AI and space-based ISR? \nHow can the India-ASEAN innovation  ecosystem foster agile manufacturing of ‘attritable’ (low-cost\, expendable)  systems to ensure resilient defence in a protracted conflict? \nWhat specific mechanisms can be  established to ensure secure technology transfer and protect the intellectual  property of niche innovations in the cyber and space domains?\n\nObjective:  Explore possible models for secure technology transfer and innovation  cooperation. \nSession  5 – India-ASEAN Defence Industry Collaboration: The Way Forward  \nContext: Strengthening  regional security requires a move toward diversified\, resilient\, and reliable  defence supply chains. Within this framework\, India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat  (self-reliant India) initiative has catalysed its emergence as a credible  partner for the supply and maintenance of advanced platforms\, including patrol  vessels\, air-defence systems\, helicopters\, and radars. For ASEAN\, these  developments offer opportunities for procurement that is customised to littoral  missions and supported by local MRO (Maintenance\, Repair\, and Overhaul)  ecosystems. Deepening this industrial link through co-production and joint  ventures is a critical step toward enhancing regional interoperability and  strategic trust. \n  Panel Questions: \n\nWhat frameworks or joint venture models  are most effective for facilitating sustainable co-production and long-term  industrial collaboration? \nIn the context of the Atmanirbhar Bharat  initiative\, what are the primary comparative advantages of the Indian defence  industry for ASEAN regarding cost\, reliability\, and strategic alignment? \nHow can Indian defence exports and  industry partnerships best complement ASEAN’s existing procurement roadmaps and  supply chain diversification? \nTo what extent can deepened industrial  trade and localised maintenance support enhance the practical interoperability  of regional naval and air forces? \nHow can policy frameworks facilitate  sustainable defence trade? \n\nObjective: To develop  user-driven pathways for long-term industry cooperation\, co-production\, and  sustainable defence trade. \n\n\n\n\nProgramme\n\nDay 114 October 2026\nDay 215 October 2026\n\n\n08:30  – 09:30 hrs:  Registration \n09:30  – 10:15 hrs  \nInaugural  Session \nWelcome  Remarks: Amb. Sujan R Chinoy\, Director General\, MP-IDSA\, New Delhi\,  India \n Inaugural  Address: Shri Rajnath Singh\, Hon’ble Raksha Mantri\, Government  of India and President\, MP-IDSA\, New Delhi\, India  \nVote  of Thanks: Dr. Temjenmeren Ao\, Associate Fellow\, MP-IDSA\, New Delhi\, India \n10:15  – 11:00 hrs  \nHigh  Tea \nGroup  Photo of Raksha Mantri with Speakers  \n11:00  – 13:00 hrs \nSession  1 – Strategic Stability and Regional Geopolitics \nChair:Amb. Gurjit Singh\,  Former Ambassador of India to ASEAN and Indonesia \nSpeakers:\n  1. Strategic landscape of  the Current Fractured Global Order: Convergences and Divergences in Threat Perception\n  Vice Admiral. Datuk Yusne  bin Hj Mokhtar\, Chief Executive\, Malaysian Institute for Defence and Security  (MiDAS)\, Malaysia\n  2. Future of the Indo  Pacific and the Role of External Powers\n  Dr. Bradley Jensen Murg\, Senior  Advisor\, Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace (CICP)\, Cambodia\n  3. Mechanisms for an  Inclusive and Balanced Regional Security Frameworks\n  Ms. Joanne Lin Weiling\,  Senior Fellow\, Coordinator\, ASEAN Studies Centre\, ISEAS\, Yusof Ishak Institute\,  Singapore \n  4. ASEAN’s Outlook on the  Indo-Pacific and the Emerging Security Framework \n  Mr. Kantabhon Sukkaew\,  Plan and Policy Analyst (Professional level)\, National Security Council\,  Bangkok\, Thailand  \n  5. ASEAN’s Outlook on the  Indo-Pacific complementing India’s Act East Policy & Indo Pacific Vision:  Prioritising New Areas for Cooperation \nDr. Somdeth Bodhisane\, Director\,  Institute for Industry\, Commerce and Energy (IICE)\, Ministry of Industry and  Commerce\, Laos PDR \nDiscussion  \n13:00  – 14:00 hrs: Lunch \n14:00  – 14:30 hrs\n  Special  Session \nChair: Amb.  Sujan R Chinoy\, Director General\, MP-IDSA\, New Delhi\, India\n  1. India-ASEAN Relations:  A MoD Perspective \n  Mr Amitabh Prasad\, Joint Secretary\,  International Cooperation\, Ministry of Defence\, Government of India \n  2. India-ASEAN Relations:  A Former Defence Attaché’s Reflection\n  Lt. Gen. Anil Ahuja  (Retd.)\, PVSM\, UYSM\, AVSM\, SM\, VSM & Bar\, Distinguished Fellow\, Vivekanand  International Foundation\, New Delhi \n14:30-16:00  hrs \nSession  2 – India-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation amidst Grey Zone Challenges \nChair:Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha\, PVSM\, AVSM\, NM & Bar\,  ADC (Retd.)\, Member\, Governing Council\, Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA)\,  New Delhi \nSpeakers: \n  1. Grey zone coercion in the Maritime Domain \n  Dr. Vu Hai Dang\, Acting Director\, Centre  for Maritime Diplomacy\, East Sea Institute\, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV)\,  Vietnam \n  2. Grey Zone Activities in the Indo Pacific:  Current Regional Mechanisms and Platforms\n  Mr. Neil Silva\, Lecturer\, UP College of Law\, University of the  Philippines (Online) \n  3. Maritime Cooperation; Responding to Grey  zone Activities in the Indo Pacific \n  Dr. Vannak Ro\, Research Fellow\, Cambodian Institute  for Cooperation and Peace (CICP)\, Cambodia\n  4. India and ASEAN Deepen Collaboration and Preserving Regional  Stability\nCapt.  Sarabjeet S Parmar (Retd)\, Distinguish Fellow\, Australia-India Institute \nDiscussion \n16:00  – 16:15 hrs: Tea Break \n16:15  – 17:45 hrs \nSession  3 – HADR Cooperation in the Maritime Domain \nChair:Admiral Dinesh  Kumar Tripathi\, PVSM\, AVSM\, NM (Retd)\, Former Chief of Naval Staff\, Chairman\,  National Maritime Foundation\, New Delhi  \nSpeakers: \n  1.  Maritime Security Dynamics for ASEAN and India\n  Mr. Umair Akmal\, Research  Officer\, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Defence and Strategic  Studies (SHHBIDSS)\, Brunei Darussalam \n  2. ASEAN-led Platforms and  the incorporation of Climate-related Priorities \n  Dr. Don McLain Gill\,  Lecturer\, Department of International Studies\, De La Salle University (DLSU)\,  Manila\, Philippines\n  3. ASEAN  and India Cooperation in Maritime Domain: For long-term Regional Stability and  Support Sustainable Indo-Pacific\n  Captain Jamalul Shafri  bin Mohd Shukor RMN\, Director of Maritime Security Division\, MiDAS\, Malaysia\n  4. ASEAN-India  Comprehensive Strategic Partnership: Humanitarian Response & Regional Stability\nAir Marshal (Dr.) Rajeev  Sachdeva\, AVSM (Retd)   \nDiscussion \n18:30 hrs: Dinner hosted by DG\,  MP-IDSA \n\n\n09:30  – 10:00 hrs \nSpecial  Session \nChair: Amb.  Sujan R Chinoy\, Director General\, MP-IDSA\, New Delhi\, India \nSpecial  Address: H.E. Mr. Karlito  Nunes\, Ambassador\, Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste   \n10:00-11:30  hrs \nSession  4 –Preparing for disruption: Defence Technology & Innovation Cooperation  \nChair: Mr.  Atul Kumar\, Director – Government Initiatives & Global Trade\, Data Security  Council of India (DSCI) \nSpeakers:  \n1. Changing Landscape of  Modern Conflict: Integration of AI\, Cyber & and Space-based ISR \n  Air Vice Marshal Chaiya  Okdaeng\, Director\, Strategic Studies Center\, National Defence Studies Institute\,  Bangkok\, Thailand\n  2. ASEAN-India Cooperation  for an Innovation Ecosystem and Agile Manufacturing  \n  Mr. Andi Widjajanto\,  Senior Advisor\, Laboratorium Indonesia 2045 (LAB 45)\, Indonesia \n  3. ASEAN-India Collaborative  R&D against Evolving Grey-zone Threats\n  Major Thanva  Sonesoulivanh\, ASEAN Political- Security and Multilateral Cooperation Division\,  Ministry of National Defence\, Lao PDR\n  4. ASEAN-India Prioritize  Joint Development for Resilient Defence amidst Protracted Conflict\nMr. Prasanna Karthik\,  Vice President\, Adani Defence & Aerospace  \nDiscussion \n11:30  – 11:45 hrs Tea Break \n11:45  – 13:00 hrs \nSession  5 – India-ASEAN Defence Industry Collaboration: The Way Forward \nChair: Amb.  Rajiv Bhatia\, Distinguished Fellow\, Gateway House and former  Ambassador to Myanmar  \nSpeakers:\n  1.  Strengthening Regional Security through  Diversifying\, Resilient\, and Reliable Defence Supply Chains\n  Dr. Naing Swe Oo\, Senior  Advisor\, Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies (MISIS)\,  Myanmar \n  2. Pathways for  ASEAN-India Long-term Industry Cooperation\, Co-production\, and Sustainable  Defence Trade \n  Dr. Evan A. Laksmana\,  Shangri-La Dialogue Senior Fellow for Southeast Asian Security and Defence\,  International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)\, Singapore\n  3.  Policy Frameworks to facilitate Sustainable  ASEAN-India Defence Trade\nDr. S Samuel C Rajiv\,  Research Fellow\, MP-IDSA\, New Delhi   \nDiscussion \nVote  of Thanks  \nMs.  Simran Walia\, Research Analyst\, MP-IDSA\, New Delhi   \n13:00  hrs: Lunch followed by Departure \n\n\n\n\n\nCore Team\n\n \nTemjenmeren Ao \nAssociate Fellow \n\n \nOm Prakash Das \nResearch Fellow \n\n \nSimran Walia \nResearch Analyst
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