Southeast Asia still doesn’t ‘know India’, survey shows, as New Delhi urged to boost engagement with region

Despite historical and cultural connections between India and Southeast Asia, many from the latter do not seem to “know India” nor its global role well enough, with observers urging New Delhi to do more to influence opinion-makers and engage with the region.

Survey results published by Singapore-based Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute last week indicate few Southeast Asian respondents expressed confidence in India.

In the report, titled “The State Of South-east Asia 2024” and which polled 1,994 people, only 14.2 per cent said they were confident Delhi would “do the right thing” and contribute to “global peace, security, prosperity and governance”.

The survey, involving people across 10 Asean countries, also found 30.5 per cent of respondents had “little confidence” while 31 per cent had “no comment” on the matter.

Only 0.4 per cent of respondents saw India as the most political and strategic influence in Southeast Asia, while only 0.6 per cent were confident of Delhi’s leadership in maintaining a rules-based order and upholding international law.

Asean or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Ian Hall, professor of international relations at Australia’s Griffith University, said India’s reputation in the region had suffered as a result of the country’s ongoing economic protectionism and the belief that historical and cultural connections bound Southeast Asia to South Asia.

“In some places, like Malaysia, concerns about long-standing issues like Kashmir also shape opinion,” Hall added.

In the months leading up to India’s general election, its government had imposed protectionist trade measures to lower inflation and