- Why in news
- On October 28, 2026, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of ADMM-Plus in Cebu, Philippines, and reviewed the India-US defence partnership.
- What it is
- ADMM-Plus is the defence forum where the ten ASEAN members meet eight dialogue partners, including India and the US. It builds practical defence cooperation through Experts Working Groups on set themes. ADMM is the base ASEAN body; ADMM-Plus extends it to outside powers.
- Venue of this meeting
- The ADMM-Plus meeting at which the ministers met was held in Cebu, Philippines, in October 2026.
- Bilateral on the sidelines
- India and the US reviewed the 10-year India-US Defence Framework and the Major Defence Partnership.
- Terrorism stand
- India called for zero tolerance towards states that support, train or fund terrorist groups. The US backed India against cross-border terrorism.
- Membership
- ADMM-Plus has the ten ASEAN states plus eight partners: Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea and the US.
- First meeting
- The inaugural ADMM-Plus was held in Hanoi, Vietnam, on 12 October 2010.
- Frequency
- Since 2017, ADMM-Plus ministers have met every year.
- India's role
- India co-chairs the Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism with Malaysia for 2024-2027.
- ADMM status
- The ADMM is the highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism in ASEAN.
- Areas of cooperation
- ADMM-Plus has seven EWG areas: maritime security, counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, peacekeeping, military medicine, humanitarian mine action and cyber security.
- Co-chair duties
- Co-chairs set objectives and guidelines at the start, hold at least two EWG meetings a year, and run an exercise for all members in the third year.
- Launch
- ADMM-Plus was launched in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2010. Its first meeting was held there.
Don’t confuse with ADMM vs ADMM-Plus: ADMM has only the ten ASEAN members. ADMM-Plus adds the eight dialogue partners.
Don’t confuse with ADMM-Plus vs East Asia Summit: ADMM-Plus is a defence ministers' forum. The East Asia Summit is a leaders' summit on political, security and economic issues.
Don’t confuse with ADMM-Plus vs ASEAN Regional Forum: ARF is a wider foreign-ministry security dialogue; ADMM-Plus is a defence ministers' forum for practical cooperation.
Don’t confuse with ADMM-Plus vs ARF: ADMM-Plus is a defence-ministry forum for practical cooperation. The ASEAN Regional Forum is a wider foreign-policy security dialogue.
International bodies and relations: the largest group of news questions in Prelims (61 since 2013), often about background, members and location. In Mains, 27 news-triggered questions, mostly on India's interests.
Why it matters
- It gives India a platform to build defence ties with ASEAN and the major Indo-Pacific powers.
- Sideline bilaterals such as the India-US meeting advance defence industry, technology and maritime cooperation.
- Gives India a defence platform with ASEAN and major powers, supporting the Act East policy.
- India's co-chair role in counter-terrorism shows its voice on regional security.
- Strengthens India's Act East policy and its defence ties with ASEAN.
- Co-chairing builds India's role in regional counter-terrorism cooperation and the Indo-Pacific security architecture.
Problems
- Great-power rivalry, including US-China competition, limits consensus in ASEAN-led forums.
- Dependence on ASEAN consensus keeps outcomes mostly to practical cooperation and dialogue.
- Members differ on issues such as the South China Sea, which can limit consensus.
- The forum is consultative, so outcomes are mostly cooperation rather than binding commitments.
- Members differ on threat perceptions and on relations with major powers, which limits deeper cooperation.
- Activities are mostly dialogues and exercises with no binding commitments.
Way forward
- India should use the Experts Working Groups to deepen cooperation in maritime security and counter-terrorism.
- India should keep its Indo-Pacific partnerships balanced with ASEAN centrality.
- Deepen practical work through EWG exercises and capacity building.
- Use the sidelines for bilateral ties that support an open, rules-based Indo-Pacific.
- Move from table-top and field exercises toward more intelligence and information sharing.
- Link ADMM-Plus work with other forums such as the East Asia Summit and ARF.
Put in your answer
India-US defence framework: The 10-year India-US Defence Framework is an example of deepening bilateral defence cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
Indo-Pacific vision: India describes its partnership with the US as a cornerstone for a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific.
India-ASEAN timeline: India became an ASEAN Dialogue Partner in 1992; ADMM-Plus began in 2010.
Counter-terrorism EWG: India co-chairs the counter-terrorism EWG with Malaysia for 2024-2027.
- 2021Mains GS2 · Q20Whether AUKUS will supersede existing Indo-Pacific partnerships; assess strength and impact.
- 2020Mains GS2 · Q20Significance of Indo-US defence deals over Indo-Russian, for Indo-Pacific stability.
- 2026Mains GS2 · Q9Critically assess IPMDA as bridge between SAGAR and Quad strategy.
- 2005Prelims Q66Which listed country is not an ASEAN member?
- 2006Prelims Q63Which listed country is not an ASEAN member?
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Statements
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements:
- 1.ADMM-Plus has eight Dialogue Partners of ASEAN as participants, and India is one of them.
- 2.The inaugural ADMM-Plus meeting was held in Hanoi in 2010, and its ministers have met annually since 2017.
- 3.India co-chairs the ADMM-Plus Experts Working Group on Maritime Security with Malaysia for 2024-2027.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
True or false?
1 of 7
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.ADMM-Plus includes all ten Dialogue Partners of ASEAN as participants.
False. ADMM-Plus has eight Dialogue Partners.
2.The inaugural ADMM-Plus meeting was held in Hanoi in 2010.
True. First ADMM-Plus: Hanoi, Vietnam, 12 October 2010.
3.ADMM-Plus ministers have met annually since 2017.
True. Annual meetings began in 2017.
4.India co-chairs the ADMM-Plus Experts Working Group on Maritime Security with Malaysia for 2024-2027.
False. India and Malaysia co-chair the EWG on Counter-Terrorism for 2024-2027.
5.China and Russia are among the Dialogue Partners in ADMM-Plus.
True. The eight partners include China and Russia.
6.The ADMM is the highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism in ASEAN.
True. ADMM holds that status within ASEAN.
7.India became a Dialogue Partner of ASEAN in 2010, the year ADMM-Plus began.
False. India became an ASEAN Dialogue Partner in 1992.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.