ISAS Working Papers

In 2014, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the upgrading of India’s ‘Look East’ policy (LEP) to the ‘Act East’ policy (AEP). Since then, there have been different interpretations of this change. While some argue that there is a clear shift in policy and focus, others state that the AEP is just a continuation of the LEP. This paper1 argues that there has been a change in policy and examines the reasons for and objectives of this shift. It also analyses the changes that have taken place under the AEP. It concludes that the LEP has been upgraded to a more dynamic and action-oriented engagement policy.