Act East Policy
In one line: The Act East Policy is India's action-oriented policy of engagement with South-East and East Asia, announced in 2014 as the successor to the Look East Policy.
From Look East to Act East
The Look East Policy was initiated in 1991 under Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao (1991 to 1996). In 2014 the Modi government announced the Act East Policy as an action-oriented, project- and outcome-based successor to Look East. The change in name signalled a move from looking towards the region to delivering projects in it.
Why Vietnam is central
Vietnam has been one of the key partners under both policies, with commercial, cultural and military ties. At the 19th Joint Commission, S. Jaishankar described Vietnam as 'a key partner in India's Act East Policy, in Vision MAHASAGAR, and in its outlook of the Indo-Pacific'.
Where to go next
- Vision MAHASAGAR
- Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
Act East Policy in the news
- India and Vietnam agree to co-produce Indian defence equipment at 19th Joint Commission 15 September 2026
From Look East (1991) to Act East (2014), and Vietnam's place in it.
On the reference shelf
Previous-year questions on this
- 2026 · GS2 · 10 marks "IPMDA (Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness) bridges the gap between India's SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision and the Quad's collective Indo-Pacific…
- 2026 · GS1 · 15 marks "The centre of global trade is gradually shifting from the Atlantic region to the Indo-Pacific region." Examine this statement.
- 2022 · GS2 · 10 marks Do you think that BIMSTEC is a parallel organisation like the SAARC? What are the similarities and dissimilarities between the two? How are Indian foreign policy objectives realized by forming this…
- 2020 · GS2 · 15 marks What is the significance of Indo-US defence deals over Indo-Russian defence deals? Discuss with reference to stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
- 2026 · Prelims Match List I with List II and select the answer using the code given below the Lists: List I (BIMSTEC Centre/Establishment): A. BIMSTEC Cultural Industries Observatory, B. BIMSTEC Energy Centre, C…
- 2025 · Prelims Consider the following statements in respect of BIMSTEC: I. It is a regional organization consisting of seven member States till January 2025. II. It came into existence with the signing of the…