PM Modi to visit Philippines on November 16-17, trade ties on agenda

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Manila, the capital of the Philippines, on November 16 and 17, 2026, at the invitation of Philippine President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr. During the two-day visit, Modi will attend the 23rd ASEAN-India Summit and the 21st East Asia Summit (EAS), both scheduled to be hosted by the Philippines on November 17.

The visit comes as India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) mark 2026 as the 'ASEAN-India Maritime Cooperation Year'. It is also significant ahead of 2027, when India and ASEAN will complete 35 years of dialogue relations and five years of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The discussions are expected to focus on strengthening maritime cooperation, trade and investment ties, as well as India's engagement with the wider Indo-Pacific region.

The visit also comes amid efforts by India and the Philippines to



expand their economic relationship. Officials from the two countries recently discussed ways to speed up the review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA).

The issue was taken up during the 14th meeting of the India-Philippines Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment, held in Manila on Friday. According to a Commerce Ministry statement, both sides stressed the need to bring the AITIGA review to an early conclusion.

They also explored the possibility of starting negotiations on a bilateral Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), which could provide another avenue to strengthen trade between the two countries.

ASEAN comprises 10 countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The Philippines currently holds the group's chairmanship and is hosting the upcoming regional meetings.