This book presents a holistic perspective across various facets of culture, history, politics, economics and strategy in Indias relations with neighbouring South and Southeast Asian countries. This book not only analyses various issues of Indias foreign policy diplomacy but also explores the perspectives of neighbouring countries towards India. It engages experts from India and its South and Southeast Asian neighbours to discuss topics, such as overland linkages, people-to-people interactions, opportunities and implications of Indias Act East policy on its neighbours in changing geopolitical backdrop. The book emphasises on the responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and suggests a greater scope of regional cooperation on emergencies such as health crises in the Bay region. This rich collection of essays has strategic and scholarly relevance for researchers working on a wide range of topics related to development studies, cultural studies, Asian studies as well as policy makers and general readers.

Lipi Ghosh is a Former Centenary Professor of International Relations, University of Calcutta. She is currently Vice Chancellor of Sona Devi University, Ghatsila, Jharkhand. Her area of specialisation is India's relations with South East Asia. She also deals with ethnicity, minority and cultural studies in South and Southeast Asia. She was Nehru-Fulbright APE Fellow (2014-15), visiting professor MSH, Paris (1986, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2012), CWIT Fellow to SOAS, London (1999, 2004) Asia Fellow in Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, (2000) SEAP, Cornell University, (2002) University of British Columbia University (2005) and ISEAS, Singapore ( 2010). She has 18 books to her credit.

Anasua Basu Ray Chaudhury is Senior Fellow with the Observer Research Foundation" s Neighbourhood Initiative. She specialises in South Asia, energy politics, forced migration and women in conflict zones. She was a Recipient of the Public Service Broadcasting Trust Senior Media Fellowship (2007),and the Kodikara Award from the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS), Colombo (1998-99). Dr. Basu Ray Chaudhury was ICSSR Post Doctoral Fellow (2004-06) at the Centre for the Studies of Developing Societies (CSDS), Delhi, and was also Visiting Fellow at the Maison des Sciences de I'Homme, Paris( 2012). She has 9 books to her credit.

Connecting Neighbors through ages: Indias relations with South and Southeast Asia-Lipi.- India- Southeast Asian Relations & Cultural Interactions: A Past Profile Lipi Ghosh.- The Look East Policy of Bangladesh: An Opportunity for Building Complementary and Shared Development for Eastern South Asia.- Manifesting the South -East Asian Dream: Understanding the Bhutanese Perspective.- Nepal's drive for multi-modal connectivity.- BIMSTEC and Indias Act East Policy: Implications for Sri Lanka.- Indias Act East Policy and Neighboring Powers: India-Myanmar Relations.- Indias Act East Thailands Go West in the New World Order.- India-Malaysia Relations: Strategic Engagement in the context of the Act East Policy.- SingaporeIndia Relations: An Enduring Convergence of Interests.- Education and Knowledge-Based Economy in India in the Last Two Decades and some Suggestions to Vietnam.- India and Indonesia in the Indo-Pacific: Time for a Greater Push.- Indias Act East Policy: Chinas Perceptions and Responses.- Strengthening Maritime connectivity across the Bay of Bengal: India and her Eastern and Southeastern Neighbors.- Regional Integration in the Bay of Bengal Region in Post-COVID-19 Period.