Author: Prisie L Patnayak

Published: 8 May 2026

India’s diplomatic outreach to key Southeast Asian countries belie the fact that many of the same countries view New Delhi with low confidence.

The State of Southeast Asia 2026 Survey, released by ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, reveals a paradoxical trust deficit towards India. While India’s overall trust rating (38.5 per cent) marginally exceeds its distrust level (34.1 per cent) for the first time since 2019, this is a mirage when it comes to maritime Southeast Asian countries. In key countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, the level of distrust towards India outweighs trust.

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The article was published by ISEAS.

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The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position or view of IRSEA