India, Aug. 10 -- President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s recent visit to India marks a decisive inflexion point in India-Philippines relations. By upgrading ties to a strategic partnership, Manila and New Delhi are signalling that the Indo-Pacific's centre of gravity is increasingly shaped by agile middle powers forging intent-led coalitions.

The upgrade in ties is about two confident democracies leveraging shared interests to shape the contours of engagement in an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific. The growing alignment between Manila and New Delhi indicates that the two countries are asserting strategic agency - deepening defence ties, expanding maritime cooperation, and reinforcing their commitment to a rules-based regional order.

But th...