Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. began his first official visit to India on Monday, August 4, 2025, describing India as a "valued friend" and expressing strong hopes for enhanced cooperation between the two nations. The five-day visit from August 5 to 9, 2025, is expected to further energise bilateral ties and open up new avenues for cooperation across key sectors.

In a departure statement before leaving for India, President Marcos emphasised that shared democratic values, maritime interests, and a mutual commitment to regional peace form the core of the growing India-Philippines partnership. "This visit is aimed at building deeper, broader, and more meaningful bilateral cooperation with India," he said. "Our bilateral relations have seen a measured and stable development that is both comprehensive in scope and multifaceted in nature."

Marcos highlighted several key areas of potential collaboration, including defence, trade, health, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, tourism, and digital connectivity. He also stressed the need for the visit to deliver concrete benefits for the Filipino people, such as more affordable medicines, improved connectivity, and food security. 

After landing in New Delhi, President Marcos will engage with top Indian leaders and key stakeholders. He is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with whom he will discuss ways to deepen cooperation in economic, defence, security, political, and people-to-people domains. The two leaders will also exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, according to a statement from the President's office.

Following his engagements in Delhi, Marcos will travel to Bengaluru to continue discussions and explore opportunities to strengthen economic ties with Indian businesses.The visit holds added significance as it coincides with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and the Philippines, which were formally established in November 1949. The milestone underscores the longstanding historical and cultural ties between the two countries.

India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has pointed out the Philippines as an important partner in its Act East Policy, Vision MAHASAGAR, and overall Indo-Pacific strategy. In a post shared on X, the MEA noted that the bilateral relationship is built not just on strategic interests but also on strong historical and cultural connections.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Prime Minister Narendra Modi previously interacted during the 21st ASEAN-India Summit and the 19th East Asia Summit held in Laos in October 2024, as well as during the 20th ASEAN-India Summit in Jakarta in 2023.