India and the Philippines formally elevated their bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership in August 2025, sealing a landmark defence pact alongside a series of other agreements. The upgrade—announced during Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s state visit to India—was marked as a transformative advancement in their diplomatic and security cooperation as the countries celebrated 75 years of diplomatic ties.
India & Philippines Seal Defence Pact 2025
Key elements of the pact include:
Defence and Security Cooperation: At the heart of the new partnership is an intent to deepen collaboration in defence, especially amid growing strategic challenges in the Indo-Pacific. Three agreements were signed specifically in the defence sector, formalizing frameworks for staff talks between the respective air forces, armies, and navies. The move comes after the Philippines became the first foreign nation to receive the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from India—a deal that Manila plans to expand, including potential joint production and co-development. Both sides committed to regular dialogue, training exchanges, and joint naval activities, and reaffirmed mutual support for defence modernization efforts.
Maritime Security: The pact underscores a shared commitment to peace, security, and a rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific. India and the Philippines stressed the importance of freedom of navigation and adherence to international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The partnership includes enhanced Coast Guard interoperability, joint patrols, and port calls in the contested South China Sea, responding to shared concerns over China’s assertiveness in the region.
Broader Strategic Cooperation: Thirteen additional agreements were signed, covering legal assistance, transfer of sentenced persons, science and technology collaboration, digital technologies, outer space cooperation, and tourism. The action plan spanning 2025-2029 details implementation across these sectors. Both countries also seek to ramp up economic engagement, with goals set for doubling bilateral trade by 2030 and expanding cooperation in pharmaceuticals, digital payments, green energy, and capacity building.
Political and Regional Context: Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Marcos Jr. characterized the Strategic Partnership as a signal of mutual trust and a commitment to stability in the Indo-Pacific, noting “India and the Philippines are friends by choice and partners by destiny”. The partnership is part of India’s broader ‘Act East’ policy, while the Philippines emphasized New Delhi’s value as a first-responder and stabilizing force in the region. The timing is significant, given both countries’ disputes with China regarding maritime rights and regional security.
The new Strategic Partnership and defence pact are widely viewed as a response to shifting regional dynamics, and they position India and the Philippines as closer allies committed to upholding the rules-based order across the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
