India-Philippines: Marcos Jr Visits India to Boost Trade

India-Philippines: In a landmark diplomatic engagement that signals a renewed era of collaboration, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr arrived in India on Monday for his first official visit, spanning five days from August 4 to August 8, 2025. His visit not only marks a new chapter in India-Philippines relations but also celebrates 75 years of diplomatic ties between the two nations.

Accompanied by First Lady Louise Araneta Marcos, senior ministers, high-level bureaucrats, and a powerful business delegation, Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s India visit is widely seen as a pivotal moment for advancing mutual interests in defence, maritime security, trade, investments, and cultural exchange.

This is the first visit by a Filipino head of state to India since former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s tour in 2007, ending an 18-year hiatus in top-level bilateral engagement.

BIndia-Philippines: Bilateral Talks and Strategic Agendas in New Delhi

On August 5, President Marcos is set to hold comprehensive bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where both leaders are expected to chart the course for future cooperation in key sectors including regional security, economic integration, and defence modernization.

In addition, Marcos will meet with President Droupadi Murmu and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, further underlining the visit’s diplomatic depth. A significant focus will be laid on strengthening India’s ‘Act East’ Policy, with the Philippines emerging as a vital partner in India’s outreach to Southeast Asia.

As per the Philippine Communications Office (PCO), the itinerary will also take the President and his entourage to Bangalore, a city symbolic of India’s tech-driven economy. There, he will engage with Indian business leaders and entrepreneurs across IT, manufacturing, biotechnology, and renewable energy.

Defence Cooperation: The Strategic Backbone

Among the highlights of the Ferdinand Marcos Jr India visit is the robust and expanding defence partnership between India and the Philippines.

In 2022, Manila made headlines by becoming the first foreign buyer of India’s BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system, via a $374.9 million deal. The first delivery in April 2024 was hailed as a milestone in India’s growing defence exports and a sign of mutual strategic trust.

Indian naval ships like INS Satpura, INS Ranvijay, and INS Kora have made frequent port calls to the Philippines, symbolizing a sustained naval camaraderie. Joint drills, most notably the Navy-to-Navy Passage Exercise in the West Philippine Sea, have furthered interoperability.

Agreements such as the 2023 MoU on Enhanced Maritime Cooperation and white-shipping information exchange protocols allow both countries to monitor maritime traffic in real-time—key in a region fraught with territorial tensions.

From the Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) to the Defence Industry and Logistics Cooperation Committee (JDILC), institutional frameworks are already in place, and Marcos’s visit is expected to expand these mechanisms or formalize new agreements in training, logistics, and technology sharing.

India-Philippines: Economic and Trade Ties: A Growing Partnership

While the defence track makes the headlines, economic diplomacy is equally at the heart of Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s India visit.

Bilateral trade between India and the Philippines stood at $3.53 billion in FY 2023-24, growing by 8.6% year-on-year. India enjoys a trade surplus, with major exports including:

• Pharmaceuticals (20% of ASEAN-bound pharma from India goes to the Philippines)

• Engineering and automotive components

• Chemicals, steel, petroleum products

• Electronics, plastics, and agri-commodities

Meanwhile, India imports:

• Semiconductors and electrical components

• Copper, ores, and precious stones

• Food residues and industrial inputs

Indian pharmaceutical firms, in particular, play a critical role in supporting Philippine healthcare, contributing 15.96% of Manila’s total pharma imports in 2023.

Indian firms have invested over $5 billion in the Philippines in key sectors such as IT, textiles, agro-processing, BPO, and FMCG. Notable Filipino companies like Ayala’s AC Energy and AG&P have also made strategic inroads into India’s renewable energy and infrastructure spaces.

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