India just hosted Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto as chief guest in the high-profile Republic Day celebrations. But India’s position in Southeast Asian power dynamics going into 2025 is still ambiguous at best. The State of Southeast Asia 2024 Survey, conducted by the ASEAN Studies Centre at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, finds India less strategically significant in regional opinion than New Delhi’s aspirations and what Indian popular perceptions might have expected. The survey highlights substantial doubt about India among Southeast Asian nations, with 44.7% of survey respondents saying India lacks the capacity and political will for global leadership and is distracted by internal and subcontinental turmoil.
Perception Gaps
Likewise, another barometer of regional sentiment comes from the Lowy Institute’s Asia Power Index 2024 Edition, which identifies India as the third most powerful country in Asia but notes its decline from 2018–2019 levels. India ranks particularly low in maintaining and developing regional trade relations and investment ties, as well as engaging with regional defence networks and global defence partnerships. This stands in contrast to India’s improved ranking in building diplomatic relationships and future resource capability. This successful diplomacy indicator likely reflects India’s commitment to increasing engagement with the region through its Look East and Act East policies and its focus on establishing “comprehensive strategic partnerships” with Southeast Asian nations.
