Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually attend the 22nd ASEAN-India Summit on October 26, 2025, at the invitation of Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia. The decision ends days of speculation about a possible in-person bilateral meeting with former US President Donald Trump amid rising trade and tariff tensions.
According to an official statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), PM Modi and the ASEAN leaders will jointly review progress in ASEAN-India relations and discuss new initiatives aimed at strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Strengthening ties with ASEAN remains a key pillar of India’s Act East Policy and is central to its Indo-Pacific vision, the statement said.
The 20th ASEAN summit, scheduled for October 27 in Kuala Lumpur, will see External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar representing India on behalf of the PM. The summit will provide an opportunity for leaders to deliberate on challenges to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as exchange views on key regional and international developments. In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian PM Ibrahim confirmed in a statement that he had spoken with PM Modi last night regarding efforts to strengthen Malaysia-India bilateral relations to a “more strategic and comprehensive level.”
“India remains an important partner for Malaysia in the fields of trade and investment, in addition to close cooperation in the sectors of technology, education and regional security,” Anwar said.
“We also touched on the organisation of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur at the end of this month,” he added. “PM Modi informed me that he will attend virtually due to the ongoing Deepavali celebrations in India at that time. I respect his decision and have extended my greetings for a happy Deepavali to him and the people of India.”
PM Anwar reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to strengthening Malaysia-India relations and further enhancing ASEAN-India cooperation “towards a more peaceful and prosperous region.”
PM Modi too confirmed that he was going to join virtually and later posted on X, “Had a warm conversation with my dear friend, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia. Congratulated him on Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship and conveyed best wishes for the success of upcoming Summits. Look forward to joining the ASEAN-India Summit virtually, and to further deepening of the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”.
While official sources cited Deepavali celebrations and scheduling logistics as key reasons for the virtual participation, diplomatic observers say the move also reflects India’s preference for maintaining a measured focus on regional multilateralism over direct engagement in global tariff disputes.
