India, March 23 -- As external affairs minister S Jaishankar embarks on a three-nation tour to Southeast Asia - Singapore, the Philippines, and Malaysia - from March 23 to 27 - India seems to be gearing up to commemorate ten years of the launch of its Act East policy in 2014.

During his five-day whirlwind tour, Jaishankar will try to maximise the diplomatic footwork to take India's ties with its Southeast Asian partners to new heights - a task easier said than done as it requires distinct focus in each of these Southeast Asian countries. This is because India's ties with Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Manila are at different levels in terms of cooperation agenda and the relationship trajectory.

Singapore has been a long-standing partner o...