ABSTRACT
The first notions of Indian Asianism were primarily inspired by the affirmation of nationalistic feelings from. This chapter assesses the evolution of India's perspectives on East Asian and Asia-Pacific regional institutions, and the factors that hampered, and motivated, Indian participation in these institutions over time. It analyzes India's roles in these multilateral institutions as India progressed from its Look East policy to its Act East policy. India's first Prime Minister after independence, Jawaharlal Nehru had in the 1940s been attracted to the idea of Pan-Asianism and an Asian Federation. Inspired by India's long experience with colonialism, Nehru aimed to forge unity among the newly emerging nations in Asia, many of which were still struggling to achieve independence. India and ASEAN upgraded their relationship to the level of strategic partners. In 2014, the rechristening of the Look East policy to Prime Minister Modi's Act East policy has underscored the increasing strategic and economic importance of East Asia to India.
