Defence Minister Rajnath Singh offers battle-tested counter-terror expertise from Operation Sindoor to ASEAN partners

India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has told a gathering of ASEAN defence ministers that New Delhi stands ready to share practical counter-terrorism experience gained through decades of confronting cross-border threats, and after Operation Sindoor. Speaking at the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, Philippines, on Wednesday, Rajnath Singh said India’s expertise was “not theoretical classroom knowledge” but “an experience hard-earned on the ground”. He described every Indian strategy as having been tested, refined and proven in real-world operations.

He pointed to Operation Sindoor as a decisive demonstration of India’s “proactive, battle-tested doctrine”, in which terrorist infrastructure was dismantled and a “non-negotiable red line” enforced against state-sponsored terror. Terrorism, he stressed, “knows no borders”, and India was prepared to strengthen collective capabilities through joint exercises, capacity-building programmes and intelligence sharing. Operation Sindoor was India's counter terror operation inside Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir after the Pahalgam terror attack.

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Counter-terrorism remains a priority under the ADMM-Plus framework. India and Malaysia are co-chairing the Experts’ Working Group on Counter-Terrorism for the 2024–2027 cycle.

Indian Defence minister reaffirmed India’s support for ASEAN centrality and a “secure, open, inclusive, resilient and rule-based Indo-Pacific”. He said India’s engagement with ASEAN was long-term and rooted in shared interests, mutual respect and practical cooperation. He recalled that the second ASEAN-India Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting in Kuala Lumpur last October had reaffirmed commitment to the defence and security elements of the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the ASEAN-India Plan of Action for 2026–2030.

The ADMM-Plus brings together ASEAN member states and eight dialogue partners, including India, China, the United States, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Russia and New Zealand.

Maritime cooperation featured prominently. India has designated 2026 as the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation and is conducting the second ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise. Rajnath Singh said India was a “steadfast practitioner” of international maritime law, not merely a preacher of its tenets. He highlighted the Indian Navy’s continuous presence in the Gulf of Aden since 2008, during which it has escorted thousands of merchant vessels and thwarted dozens of high-seas hijackings, protecting commercial shipping regardless of flag or nationality.

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India’s emphasis on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and freedom of navigation and overflight, he said, “is not directed against any country” but is intended to safeguard the collective interests of all regional stakeholders who depend on open sea lanes. India continues to position itself as a “reliable net security provider” in the Indian Ocean Region and wider Indo-Pacific.

Minister Singh also proposed the creation of a dedicated defence “Youth Bridge” to strengthen India-ASEAN people-to-people connectivity, promote digital innovation and support capacity building. He said empowering youth aligned with the theme of “Youth, Peace and Security” and was essential for a peaceful, resilient and prosperous Indo-Pacific.