Overview
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh left New Delhi on Tuesday to lead India’s delegation to the 13th ADMM‑Plus in Cebu, which runs October 28–29 under the Philippines’ chairmanship.
- Singh is scheduled to address the forum on regional and international security and to hold several bilateral meetings with counterparts to review and expand defence cooperation.
- A US‑India sideline meeting between Singh and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected, and Hegseth is using the summit to reassure Asia‑Pacific partners about Washington’s commitment to the region.
- Attendance by China’s defence minister has not been confirmed, reducing the likelihood of a face‑to‑face US‑China ministerial meeting at the summit and heightening focus on South China Sea tensions.
- India is emphasising counter‑terrorism leadership through its co‑chair role of the ADMM‑Plus counter‑terrorism experts group for 2024–2027 and is framing its engagement under its Act East policy to boost regional capacity and interoperability.