ASEAN was formed at a moment when Southeast Asia was dealing with post-colonial instability, ideological conflict and Cold War pressure. The founding five judged that structured cooperation was a better guarantee of sovereignty than alignment with either bloc. That origin explains ASEAN's enduring working method — consensus decision-making, non-interference in members' internal affairs, and a preference for dialogue over binding enforcement, together often called the 'ASEAN Way'. The adoption of the ASEAN Charter in 2008 formalised this arrangement by giving the grouping legal personality and a defined institutional structure, converting what began as a political declaration into a rules-based regional organisation.

ASEAN sits at the centre of India's Act East Policy and of the wider Indo-Pacific construct. India engages the grouping through the annual India-ASEAN Summit, the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum, and ASEAN centrality is a stated pillar of India's Indo-Pacific approach. The relationship also carries a maritime dimension: the sea lanes through Southeast Asia carry a large share of India's trade, and the South China Sea disputes involve several ASEAN members. For India, the grouping's expansion to eleven members and its 2026 focus on connectivity and digital innovation open further avenues in trade facilitation and technology cooperation.