"Institutionalised multilateral naval exercises such as AIME mark India's transition from a 'Look East' to an 'Act East' security posture." Critically examine.

India's 'Look East' policy dealt with Southeast Asia mainly through trade and diplomacy. 'Act East' adds a security and strategic layer on top. The ASEAN–India Maritime Exercise (AIME) is held "in furtherance of the Act East Policy" [1]. Its second edition began at Subic Bay, Philippines, in September 2026. AIME shows the shift has begun, but not yet that it is institutionalised.

Evidence of an 'Act East' security posture

• From talks to operations: The first AIME was held in 2023, hosted by Singapore. Its Sea Phase was in the South China Sea, with about 1,400 personnel on 9 ships [2][3].
• Multilateral, not just bilateral: Seven ASEAN navies joined India in 2023 [3]. The 2026 edition aims at interoperability and operational synchronisation [1].
• Part of a larger security package: The 22nd ASEAN–India Summit declared 2026 the Year of Maritime Cooperation. It also proposed a second Defence Ministers' Meeting alongside the second AIME [4].
• Backed by doctrine: AIME-2026 explicitly cites MAHASAGAR, which carries India's maritime vision into Southeast Asia [1]. It stays aligned with ASEAN centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) [5].
• Rules-based signal: Holding the exercise in the Philippines reinforces India's stand on freedom of navigation under UNCLOS 1982 [6].

Limits to the claim

• Not yet institutionalised: Three years passed between editions (2023 to 2026). The second edition needed a fresh summit-level proposal [2][4].
• Small scale: India sent only two ships to each edition [2][1].
• Mostly in harbour: Sports, cultural and community events dominate. The Sea Phase drills are not specified [1].
• Only part of ASEAN: Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar stayed away in 2023 [3]. ASEAN's consensus-based decision-making slows security cooperation.
• Deliberate caution: India takes no side on sovereignty disputes [6], which limits the exercise's deterrent value.
• Trade lagging behind: Negotiations under the review of the ASEAN–India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) were still going on in July 2026, even though trade reached USD 128 billion in 2025–26 [7].

On balance, AIME marks the beginning of India's move from an economic 'Look' to a security 'Act', not its completion. For now it is more a trust-building signal than an institutional pillar. Three steps would make it a lasting pillar of Act East: a fixed schedule set through the Defence Ministers' Meeting, search-and-rescue and illegal-fishing drills under the Plan of Action 2026–30 [4], and a completed AITIGA review. That would give real meaning to its theme, "Anchored in Trust, United at Sea" [1].