India-Philippines reaching for new strategic horizons

This article first appeared on Pacific Forum and is republished with permission. Read the original here.

The Philippines and India have witnessed an upward trajectory in their bilateral partnership amid growing uncertainty over Indo-Pacific security architecture brought by China’s expansionism.

While the Philippines’ security alliance with the United States remains, there is an ongoing push in Manila for a more multi-aligned foreign policy, preparing for unexpected shifts.

The Philippines’ growing strategic cooperation with India demonstrates this multi-alignment, and more robust bilateral ties would complement US interests in preserving the regional rules-based order.

Tracing the growth

The Philippines-India partnership is becoming a strategically significant relationship grounded in democratic values, shared security concerns, and converging visions for a free and open Indo-Pacific. This evolution reflects a deliberate recalibration in both countries’ foreign policies.

For the Philippines, increasingly wary of China’s maritime assertiveness in the South China Sea, the search for reliable security partners has intensified. For India, committed to its Act East Policy and a more proactive Indo-Pacific role, strengthening ties with ASEAN states is both timely and essential.

Maturity in bilateral ties began in 2016 under former President Rodrigo Duterte (2016-2022), when Manila sought to veer away from its US alliance to appease China and gain economic concessions. Additionally, by downplaying the 2016 Arbitral Award, Duterte hoped to forge more stable relations with Beijing in the South China Sea.

However, such efforts did not yield significant economic benefits; they emboldened China’s expansionist ambitions in the West Philippine Sea—as Manila calls the part of the South China Sea encompassing its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.

To address this strategic mismanagement, Manila decided to work with non-traditional, like-minded partners that can play a role in the Philippines’ security.

This diversification policy allowed the Philippines and India to recognize the utility of their like-minded partnership. Notable developments that took place included the Philippines’ purchase of BrahMos supersonic missiles, more reciprocal high-level visits, and increased maritime activity such as joint exercises and goodwill visits.

In Manila, there was apparent willingness to include India in its security calculations. This complemented India’s intent to become a more noticeable player in emerging strategic dynamics in Southeast Asia.

Trade and investment between the two nations, although still modest (approximately $3 billion in 2024), are slowly gaining momentum. India’s strengths in pharmaceuticals, information technology, and fintech align well with the Philippines’ development needs. The digital economy and renewable energy sectors, in particular, offer promising avenues for collaboration.

Yet, this economic partnership remains under-leveraged—something both governments are keen to change.

Institutionalizing the partnership

When President Ferdinand Marcos Jr took office in 2022, he expressed intent to not only maintain positive momentum for the Manila-New Delhi partnership but strengthen it further to better adapt to the changing strategic environment of the Indo-Pacific.

Accordingly, the Philippines and India have pursued a more multifaceted, institutionalized bilateral partnership. The most visible area of cooperation centers on maritime security and defense cooperation. This reflected the Marcos Jr administration’s prioritization of security of its sovereignty and sovereign rights as China intensifies belligerent maneuvers in the West Philippine Sea.

India likewise intends to bolster its strategic presence in Southeast Asia amid the search for alternative sources of economic and security cooperation, hedging against the uncertainties caused by US–China competition. Additionally, since 2018, India has become more vocal about how China’s maritime unilateralism directly challenges the principles of international law.

Consequently, since 2022, there have been increased Manila-New Delhi maritime security-related activities aimed at deepening and institutionalizing their partnership. First developments included signing a memorandum of understanding for cooperation between the Philippine and Indian coast guards in August 2023.

An elevation in defense dialogue followed; the fifth meeting of the India-Philippines Joint Defense Cooperation Committee, held in September 2024, was co-chaired for the first time by the defense secretaries. Additionally, both nations held their first Track 1 maritime security dialogue in December 2024.

Moreover, as both nations aim to improve joint preparedness and interoperability, the role of capacity-building is also gaining ground; Manila is currently negotiating with India to purchase the Akash surface-to-air weapon system. Diplomatic engagement has kept pace.

High-level visits, regular dialogues under the Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation, and collaboration in ASEAN-led platforms point to a maturing relationship. Importantly, both countries emphasize a rules-based international order and the sanctity of international law—principles increasingly tested in today’s contested maritime spaces.

The Philippines and India are also exploring more ways to broaden the bilateral partnership. When President Marcos Jr met Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita in January, he expressed openness to elevating bilateral ties, indicating Manila’s growing importance to the Philippines-India partnership.

Manila has also shared plans to pursue cooperation with New Delhi on critical minerals like nickel, given their overreliance on the Chinese market as an export destination. This opens more opportunities for India to become more involved in Southeast Asia while enhancing its partnership with the Philippines.

The human connection is growing, too. Filipino students studying in India under government scholarships, the popularity of yoga and Indian culture in the Philippines, and a small but vibrant Indian diaspora all contribute to a more organic, people-centric partnership.

These soft power linkages provide a durable foundation for bilateral goodwill beyond the corridors of power.

Why it matters to Washington

Under the Trump administration, there are two interrelated themes taking center stage in Washington’s foreign policy calculations. First, the future of US security interests lies in the evolving dynamics of Indo-Pacific geopolitics.

Second, China is the most critical challenge to Washington’s pursuit of strategic objectives in the region and the broader international system. In the Indo-Pacific, China not only enjoys a geographic advantage but also continues to consolidate.

Dr. Shristi Pukhrem (shristipukhrem@indiafoundation.in) is deputy director (academics & research) at India Foundation. Dr Pukhrem’s research areas cover India-ASEAN relations, India’s bilateral relations with Southeast Asian countries and the Act East Policy with a larger focus on the Indo-Pacific region.

Don McLain Gill (don.gill@dlsu.edu.ph) is a Manila-based geopolitical analyst, author and lecturer at the Department of International Studies, De La Salle University. He is also an Indo-Pacific research fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.