India and China have multifaceted interests in ASEAN. Both countries work towards collaboration and co-operation. Strategic interests of such major powers cannot be always complementing, but competing. India\\\\\\\'s Act East Policy (AEP), which has major stakes in the ASEAN, thus ought to compete with the Chinese interests in the region while charting its plan of action. Economic and security concerns of both countries assume greater primacy and drive the significance of their interests in the competition. It is therefore imperative to study as to how India and China are disposed off towards East Asian Nations and in turn, how they see their role and influence in the region. This article discusses the strategic imperatives of India?s AEP.