The India and Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) partnership began in the early 1990s mainly in the economic domain. Reeling from a major internal crisis, India wanted to tap onto the region’s economic vibrancy to strengthen its own waning economy. Since then, amidst India’s domestic constraints, economic ties have largely sustained the India–ASEAN partnership on a steady course. India’s withdrawal from the ASEAN-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership negotiations in 2019 therefore was an important inflection point in the partnership. This study hence discusses the prospects for the India–ASEAN partnership moving forward beyond Regional Comprehensive and Economic Partnership (RCEP). This is undertaken by first examining the main challenges India faces with the ASEAN Free Trade Arrangement and RCEP. After which, relevant developments pertaining to India’s multilateral partnership within the Indo-Pacific theatre as well as to India’s economic trajectory are deliberated in relation to ASEAN. Based on this analysis, this study argues that the outlook for India–ASEAN ties remains optimistic since the external and internal pressures needed for important economic reforms has not diminished for India. In addition, there are prospects for wider engagements with ASEAN due to Indo-Pacific related strategic recalibrations in the region. Therefore, collectively these factors will provide crucial thrusts for the partnership to move forward strongly sans RCEP.

印度和东南亚国家联盟 (ASEAN) 的伙伴关系始于 1990 年代初，主要是在经济领域。印度受到重大内部危机的影响，希望利用该地区的经济活力来加强其自身衰落的经济。从那时起，在印度国内的制约下，经济关系在很大程度上维持了印度-东盟伙伴关系的稳定发展。因此，印度在 2019 年退出东盟主导的区域全面经济伙伴关系谈判是伙伴关系的一个重要转折点。因此，本研究讨论了印度-东盟伙伴关系超越区域全面经济伙伴关系（RCEP）的前景。这是通过首先审查印度面临的东盟自由贸易安排和 RCEP 的主要挑战来进行的。之后，讨论了与印度在印太地区的多边伙伴关系以及印度的经济轨迹相关的发展与东盟的关系。基于这一分析，本研究认为，印度-东盟关系的前景仍然乐观，因为印度进行重要经济改革所需的外部和内部压力并未减弱。此外，由于该地区与印太相关的战略调整，有可能与东盟进行更广泛的接触。因此，总的来说，这些因素将为伙伴关系在没有 RCEP 的情况下大力推进提供关键推动力。本研究认为，印度与东盟关系的前景仍然乐观，因为印度进行重要经济改革所需的外部和内部压力并未减弱。此外，由于该地区与印太相关的战略调整，有可能与东盟进行更广泛的接触。因此，总的来说，这些因素将为伙伴关系在没有 RCEP 的情况下大力推进提供关键推动力。本研究认为，印度与东盟关系的前景仍然乐观，因为印度进行重要经济改革所需的外部和内部压力并未减弱。此外，由于该地区与印太相关的战略调整，有可能与东盟进行更广泛的接触。因此，总的来说，这些因素将为伙伴关系在没有 RCEP 的情况下大力推进提供关键推动力。