ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes the impact of India's diaspora policy regard to ethnic Indians in Southeast Asia. The presence of new Indian Diaspora, which consists of highly-skilled people, has enhanced India's image in Southeast Asia especially in the field of IT and medicine. The Government of India is taking great interest in the Indian diaspora, which is evident from the report of the high Level Committee and establishment of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA). India interaction with Southeast Asian region during the Cold War was more visible in bilateral relations with individual countries namely Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia rather than with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). During the Cold War, India and ASEAN drifted apart, and the Look East Policy sought to reconnect the two economically. Phase-I of the policy was characterized by trade and investment linkages. India's Look East Policy also included China, Japan, South Korea, and other Asia-Pacific nations during the second phase.
