NEW DELHI, 13 November Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travael to Manila from 16 to 18 November for the 23rd ASEAN-India Summit and the 21st East Asia Summit, the Ministry of External Affairs announced.
His programme opens with a dinner hosted by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr for the visiting leaders. The two summits follow the next day, with bilateral meetings in between. The schedule is being adjusted to include a meeting with the Indian community in the Philippines.
BLITZ DATA CARD
16–18 November 2026 — Prime Minister’s Manila visit
23rd — ASEAN-India Summit; 21st — East Asia Summit
11 — ASEAN member states India engages bilaterally
$122 billion — India-ASEAN trade, per MEA
2026 — ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation
Source: MEA special briefing, 12 November 2026
Briefing the media, MEA Secretary (East) Rudrendra Tandon said India’s engagement with the ASEAN platform is “a key element or building block of our Act East policy.” He described ASEAN as a major trading partner, with trade of $122 billion. The summit is expected to review the India-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including the ASEAN-India Plan of Action for 2026–2030.
What India gains is
Is a seat at the centre of the Indo-Pacific’s busiest table. The East Asia Summit is the one forum where India, the United States, China, Japan, Russia and the ASEAN states meet at leaders’ level. A strong showing there turns Act East from a policy into a presence.
Vande Bharat to speed up Karnataka’s rail connectivity
BENGALURU, 13 November: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the Bengaluru–Mangaluru–Madgaon Vande Bharat Express, as part of projects worth over ₹15,600 crore in Karnataka.
The 16-coach train serves Bengaluru Urban, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada and South Goa, reaches 100 km/h in 52 seconds and carries Kavach, India’s own collision-avoidance system. The Prime Minister also dedicates the 45 km Bagalkot–Wandal doubling, part of the 284 km Gadag–Hospet project, and the 55 km electrified Sakleshpur–Subrahmanya Road ghat section, and opens four redeveloped Amrit Bharat stations.
Singapore courts Indian MICE business
VISAKHAPATNAM, 13 November: The Singapore Tourism Board and the Confederation of Indian Industry signed an agreement on 12 November at the CII Partnership Summit to make Singapore a preferred venue for exhibitions and conferences held by Indian companies.
Singapore’s High Commission said the city-state received 1.2 million Indian visitors last year. The navies of the two countries also completed SIMBEX-2026, in which India fielded the indigenous stealth frigate INS Nilgiri.
India, Italy deepen strategic science partnership
ROME, 13 November Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh is in Italy from 11 to 15 November to take forward the Special Strategic Partnership agreed during the Prime Minister’s visit in May 2026, with visits today to the Elettra Synchrotron, ICTP and ICGEB in Trieste.
