Marcos formalizes Philippines’ strategic partnership with India

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos are formally welcomed by Indian President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, India, on Tuesday, August 5, 2025. (Photos courtesy of Noel B. Pabalate / PPA Pool)

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday officially announced the Philippines’ strategic partnership with India, marking it as the country’s fifth official strategic ally.

“Today, our relationship enters a new epoch, as Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi and I formally launch the strategic partnership between the Philippines and India. For the Philippines, this is a momentous decision, for we take a very considered path to such elevated partnerships,” Marcos said in a press statement after witnessing the two countries’ exchange of bilateral agreements.

READ: Marcos looks forward to exploring new opportunities with India

The president said this development is a testament to the “remarkably rapid growth” of the Philippines and India’s 75-year-old bilateral relationship.

Other strategic partners of the Philippines are Japan, Australia, South Korea, and Vietnam.

Marcos said he and Modi agreed to continue strengthening their collaboration in defense and security.

“We expressed satisfaction over the rapid pace of the Philippines’ ongoing defense modernization and expanding capabilities and footprint of India’s indigenous defense industry as a partner in this undertaking, exemplified by our BrahMos project,” he said.

“We concurred that we should be accompanied with intensified dialogue and exchanges between our defense establishments,” Marcos continued.

Part of the Philippine Navy’s shore-based anti-ship missile system project, the first batch of BrahMos missiles arrived in the country in April 2024, making it the third Southeast Asian nation to acquire the world’s fastest supersonic anti-ship missile system after Indonesia and Vietnam.

To facilitate this, the president said they decided to establish mechanisms for service-to-service talks, information sharing, and training exchanges between their militaries.

Meanwhile, both leaders directed their respective economic teams to carefully guide and manage the trade and economic relationship between their countries.

“To this end, we have decided to expedite the work that we are doing to forge a bilateral preferential trade agreement. We looked at leveraging mutual opportunities to boost two-way investment,” he said.

Marcos also invited Indian tourists to visit the Philippines, highlighting their visa-free entry privileges.

For his part, Modi introduced a scheme allowing Filipinos to visit India without a visa.

“I thank Prime Minister Modi in turn for the introduction of a scheme to grant visas free of charge to Filipino tourists traveling to India,” Marcos said.

The Philippines and India signed bilateral agreements in the areas of defense, science and technology, and other areas.

Some of the agreements are as follows:

• Terms of reference between the Indian Army and the Philippine Army on the Army-to-Army Staff Talks
• Treaty on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters between the government of the Republic of India and the government of the Republic of the Philippines
• Program of cooperation in the field of science and technology for the period 2025-2028 between the Department of Science and Technology of the Republic of India and the Department of Science and Technology of the Republic of the Philippines
• Implementation program between the Department of Tourism of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Ministry of Tourism of the Government of the Republic of India on Tourism Cooperation 2025-2028
• Terms of reference for enhanced maritime cooperation between the Indian Coast Guard and the Philippine Coast Guard
• Cultural exchange program between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines

Marcos is on a five-day state visit to India, where he is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with key Indian officials and business leaders.

During his welcome ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan—the official residence of the Indian president—Marcos said he looks forward to exploring new opportunities with India.

The state visit is scheduled until August 8. On August 7, Marcos and his delegation will fly to Bangalore to meet with business leaders and discuss potential investment pledges for the Philippines. /jpv/mcm