Rising Bharat Summit 2026: India’s rise a ‘balancing’ force in Southeast Asia, says George Yeo

India’s rise seen as regional balancer

India’s economic growth is emerging as a key balancing force in Asia, former Singapore foreign minister George Yeo said, describing the country’s development as “self-sustaining” and strategically significant for the wider region.

Speaking at the Rising Bharat Summit 2026, Yeo said India had strengthened its global standing by taking tough economic and political decisions at critical moments. “India went through a very critical test when America put pressure — India did not buckle and because India did not buckle its standing in the world gone up,” he said.

He added that New Delhi had followed this with decisive policy moves. “Made some tough decisions — it went for FTA with Europe, it has made some top decision to undertake internal reforms,” Yeo noted, underscoring that such steps signal long-term economic confidence.

Yeo argued that India’s growth trajectory would naturally expand its role in Southeast Asia, offering the region greater strategic balance amid shifting global power equations.

Drawing on historical and cultural ties, he pointed out that Singapore itself has Sanskrit roots, reflecting centuries-old civilisational links with India. As Asia’s major economies expand, he said, their growth is interconnected.

“The more China grows, Singapore will grow — and India will grow. When India grows we feel more comfortable, when relations with India improves we feel more balanced,” Yeo said.

For him, India’s rise is not confrontational but stabilising. A stronger India, he suggested, provides Southeast Asia with strategic comfort and economic opportunity, reinforcing regional equilibrium rather than disrupting it.

By pursuing reforms and trade integration while maintaining strategic independence, Yeo indicated, India is positioning itself not only as a major economy but also as a pillar of balance in an increasingly uncertain world.