Quick answer: ADMM-Plus (ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus) is a forum where the defence ministers of the 11 ASEAN states meet their counterparts from eight Dialogue Partners, India among them. Its 13th meeting was held in Cebu, Philippines, on 28–29 October 2026, with the Philippines as chair. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh led India’s delegation and held talks with the US, Australia, Japan and others.
Why ADMM-Plus is in the news
The Ministry of Defence announced that Rajnath Singh would lead India’s delegation at the 13th ADMM-Plus in Cebu from 28 to 29 October 2026. He would address the session on “Exchange of Views on Regional and International Security Issues”. He left for Cebu on 27 October and said the forum “remains the premier platform for defence and strategic consultations in the region”, according to All India Radio.
In his address, as reported by ANI, the minister:
- He restated India’s commitment to ASEAN centrality, calling it a cornerstone of the Act East Policy and India’s Indo-Pacific vision.
- He proposed an “India-ASEAN Youth Bridge” to connect the young populations of India and ASEAN through people-to-people links, digital innovation and capacity building.
- He spoke against state-sponsored terrorism and cited Operation Sindoor.
Bilateral meetings on the sidelines
- United States: talks with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Reports say the two reviewed progress under the 10-year India-US defence framework.
- Australia: talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles. Singh said India “places great value on its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Australia”. He also invited Marles to Aero India 2027 in Bengaluru.
- Japan: talks with Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. Singh called India and Japan “two leading democracies in Asia” with a shared responsibility for Indo-Pacific peace.
- Philippines: talks with Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr, with a focus on maritime security and joint defence production.
- “JAI” post: on 29 October Singh shared a photo on X with Marles and Koizumi, captioned “JAI: Japan, Australia, India”. This was a social media message, not a new formal grouping.
What are ADMM and ADMM-Plus? Key facts
- ADMM: ASEAN’s highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism. It grew out of the ASEAN Security Community Plan of Action, adopted at the 10th ASEAN Summit in Vientiane in 2004. The first ADMM was held in Kuala Lumpur on 9 May 2006.
- ADMM-Plus: brings together ASEAN and its eight Dialogue Partners (the “Plus” countries). The inaugural meeting was in Hanoi, Vietnam, on 12 October 2010.
- Frequency: ministers have met every year since 2017. Earlier meetings were less frequent.
- Chair: the chairmanship follows the ASEAN chair. For 2026 that is the Philippines.
- Membership rule: a Plus country must be a full ASEAN Dialogue Partner (set at the 3rd ADMM, Pattaya, 2009).
| ASEAN member states (11) | Plus countries / Dialogue Partners (8) |
|---|---|
| Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam | Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia, United States |
Experts’ Working Groups and India’s role
Most of the practical work in ADMM-Plus happens in Experts’ Working Groups (EWGs). Each EWG is co-chaired by one ASEAN member and one Plus country for a three-year cycle. There are seven, as listed on the official ADMM website:
| # | Experts’ Working Group |
|---|---|
| 1 | Maritime Security |
| 2 | Counter-Terrorism |
| 3 | Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) |
| 4 | Peacekeeping Operations |
| 5 | Military Medicine |
| 6 | Humanitarian Mine Action |
| 7 | Cyber Security |
India’s role: India became an ASEAN Dialogue Partner in 1992 and has been part of ADMM-Plus since it began in 2010. For the 2024–2027 cycle, India is co-chairing the EWG on Counter-Terrorism with Malaysia, according to the MoD. India presents its participation as part of defence diplomacy under the Act East Policy.
Exam angle: how NDA, CDS and CAPF can ask this
- Expect matching questions on ASEAN-led forums: ASEAN Regional Forum, East Asia Summit, ADMM and ADMM-Plus, with their founding years and members.
- A common question asks you to count ASEAN members (11 now, with Timor-Leste) or name the eight Plus countries.
- The Act East Policy (and its predecessor, the Look East Policy), the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative and India’s Dialogue Partner status from 1992 are linked topics.
Practice MCQs
Q1. Where was the 13th ADMM-Plus held in October 2026?
(a) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (b) Cebu, Philippines (c) Vientiane, Laos (d) Jakarta, Indonesia
Answer: (b) — the Philippines chaired ADMM-Plus in 2026 and hosted it in Cebu.
Q2. The inaugural ADMM-Plus was convened in:
(a) Singapore, 2006 (b) Bangkok, 2008 (c) Hanoi, 2010 (d) Manila, 2017
Answer: (c) — the first ADMM-Plus met in Hanoi on 12 October 2010.
Q3. Which of the following is NOT one of the eight ADMM-Plus partner countries?
(a) New Zealand (b) Russia (c) Canada (d) Republic of Korea
Answer: (c) — the eight Plus countries are Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the US.
Q4. For 2024–2027, India co-chairs which ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Group, and with whom?
(a) Maritime Security, with Indonesia (b) Counter-Terrorism, with Malaysia (c) HADR, with Thailand (d) Cyber Security, with Singapore
Answer: (b) — India and Malaysia co-chair the EWG on Counter-Terrorism.
Frequently asked questions
What is ADMM-Plus?
ADMM-Plus is a defence cooperation forum of the 11 ASEAN member states and eight Dialogue Partners: Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States. It first met in Hanoi in 2010.
What is the difference between ADMM and ADMM-Plus?
ADMM is the meeting of ASEAN defence ministers alone, first held in Kuala Lumpur in 2006. ADMM-Plus adds the eight partner countries to that meeting.
What did India propose at the 13th ADMM-Plus?
Rajnath Singh proposed an “India-ASEAN Youth Bridge” to build people-to-people ties, digital innovation and capacity building among young people in India and ASEAN.
What was the “JAI” post?
On 29 October 2026 Rajnath Singh posted a photo with Australia’s Richard Marles and Japan’s Shinjiro Koizumi, captioned “JAI: Japan, Australia, India”. The caption highlights the three countries’ close ties; it does not announce a formal new grouping.
Also read on NCA: ASEAN Summit 2025: members and key facts | Monthly defence current affairs | CAPF coaching in Chandigarh
Sources: MoD/PIB release via IDRW (26 October 2026), All India Radio, PTI via ThePrint, ADMM official site (ADMM-Plus), ADMM official site (ADMM), ANI via Devdiscourse. Facts as reported up to 31 October 2026.
Featured image background: U.S. Secretary of Defense / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
