"ASEAN centrality is the cornerstone of India's Indo-Pacific vision." Discuss in light of the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

ASEAN centrality means that ASEAN sets the agenda in Asia's regional bodies. India calls its ties with ASEAN the "central pillar" of the Act East Policy and the base of its Indo-Pacific vision [1]. The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) gives this formal shape, but some gaps limit the claim.

How the CSP makes ASEAN the cornerstone

• Rising partnership levels: Sectoral Dialogue Partner (1992), Strategic Partnership (2012), then CSP at the 19th Summit (2022), which marked 30 years of ties [2].
• Built-in follow-up: the CSP sets direction, the Plan of Action 2026–2030 carries it out, and the yearly summit reviews progress. The 23rd Summit in Manila (November 2026) is the next review [1].

CSP (direction) → Plan of Action 2026–30 (implementation) → Annual Summit (review)

Fig: Three-tier structure of the CSP

• Shared maritime goals: 2026 is the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation, with a focus on the Blue Economy [3]. The 2023 Joint Statement on Maritime Cooperation calls for a Code of Conduct consistent with UNCLOS [4].
• ASEAN-led forums: through the East Asia Summit India gets a leaders-level seat in a forum where ASEAN sets the agenda [1]. ASEAN is also widening: Timor-Leste's leader joined the 2025 summits [3].

Limits of the "cornerstone" claim

• Consensus waters down texts: the 2023 maritime statement does not mention the 2016 arbitral award [4]. India does more one-to-one: a Strategic Partnership with the Philippines (2025) and a first joint naval exercise in the South China Sea [5].
• Unbalanced trade: two-way trade is USD 128.38 billion (10.55% of India's trade), but the AITIGA review meant to fix "trade asymmetries" is still unfinished [6].
• Weak land links: the Trilateral Highway and the Kaladan project are delayed by Myanmar's internal situation [7].

Way forward

• Finish the AITIGA review by a fixed date.
• Give the Maritime Year measurable results, such as maritime domain awareness and coast guard cooperation, and report them at the 2027 35th-anniversary summit [1].
• Publish a dated schedule for the Myanmar projects.

Overall, ASEAN centrality is the foundation of India's Indo-Pacific vision, and closer one-to-one ties with countries like the Philippines add to it. Concrete CSP results by 2027 on trade, maritime and connectivity would confirm ASEAN's place at the centre. They would also advance SDG 14 and a rules-based, UNCLOS-anchored regional order.