sjahssSJAHSSSJAHSS2788-9424https://doi.org/10.47310/sjahss.2022.v02i01.001India’s Quest for ‘Civilizational Partnership’ with Southeast Asia: Contextualizing Ties with Myanmar and IndonesiaNetajeeAbhinandanIndia’s foreign policy, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has undergone significant transformation as it seeks to redefine its role both regionally and globally. The shift is best reflected in its attempts to reinvigorate ties with the countries in ‘extended neighbor-hood’, especially South East Asia as the region is not only economically crucial but also strategically very important for India. ‘Look East’, initiated in 1991, was rechristened to ‘Act East’ by Modi government in 2014 to enhance the level of engagement with ASEAN countries. Among them, Myanmar and Indonesia hold special significance for India. India, in recent years, has taken several initiatives to establish greater connectivity with both Myanmar through the ‘gateway’ of Northeast using culture as a tool of diplomacy. The paper would endeavor to comprehensively analyze the dynamics of India’s regional diplomacy and its evolving engagement with Myanmar and Indonesia. It would also attempt to argue for moving beyond state-centric and state-driven approach towards adopting a people-centric and people-driven connectivity approach that would involve Northeast provinces and their people as active stakeholders in India’s diplomatic initiatives with Myanmar.