India hosted the first ASEAN-India Defence Think Tank Forum on 14-15 October, bringing together experts from India and all ASEAN member states. The agenda includes maritime domain awareness, interoperability, underwater cooperation, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, cyber, space, unmanned systems and defence-industry collaboration.
The forum follows an earlier decision to institutionalise a defence think-tank track. It is a Track 1.5/knowledge-dialogue mechanism rather than a treaty body or operational military command. Its value lies in building shared concepts, research networks and policy options that can later inform official cooperation.
For civil-services preparation, the forum fits India's Act East Policy and ASEAN centrality. Defence engagement in the Indo-Pacific increasingly includes non-traditional security, HADR and maritime awareness alongside conventional strategic concerns.