Why India’s Asean anti-terrorism partnership offer may not be one-size-fits-all

As India seeks to expand its security cooperation with Southeast Asia by sharing its battle-tested counterterrorism expertise, defence analysts say its experience would only partly meet Asean’s needs given the differences in threat perception and domestic priorities.

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made the offer at the Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu on Thursday. Citing Operation Sindoor as an example of India’s counterterrorism capabilities, he offered to share New Delhi’s experience with the bloc through joint exercises, training and intelligence-sharing.

“India’s counterterrorism experience was not theoretical knowledge but had been acquired through decades of confronting complex security challenges, including cross-border terrorism,” Singh said.