President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is looking to India for help advancing some of the Philippines’ most ambitious transportation and space ambitions, as Manila explores possible Indian participation in three major railway projects and the country’s long-term satellite program.
During his visit to New Delhi on September 12, Marcos met with representatives of Rail India Technical and Economic Service Ltd. (RITES), an infrastructure consultancy under India’s Ministry of Railways, to discuss potential cooperation on Philippine rail projects.
According to the Presidential Communications Office, the projects being considered are the Mindanao Railway Project, a mass railway system in Cebu, and an extension of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) system from Tutuban.
The Mindanao Railway is being treated as the first priority for further study, followed by the proposed Cebu mass rail system and the PNR extension from Tutuban.
Presidential Communications Office Acting Secretary Dave Gomez said RITES could potentially participate as a technical consultant or through a public-private partnership (PPP) while also helping the Philippines explore possible official development assistance (ODA).
The discussions come as the Marcos administration searches for additional international partners and financing options for major railway infrastructure.
India emerges as another potential rail partner
The discussions with RITES are particularly significant because the Philippines is attempting to accelerate its railway expansion while diversifying its sources of technical expertise and financing.
The Philippine government has proposed P197.3 billion for railway infrastructure in 2027, including P123.84 billion for the North-South Commuter Railway and P67.44 billion for Phase 1 of the Metro Manila Subway Project.
The proposed spending underscores the administration’s broader push to expand rail transportation as a way to reduce congestion, improve mobility and support economic growth.
The Philippine Tribune reported that RITES is exploring business relations with the Department of Transportation and that the Philippines is examining alternative funding and technical partnerships involving India, Japan and South Korea for major railway projects.
That makes the India talks more than a single-project discussion: they potentially form part of a wider effort to secure international expertise and financing for the country’s long-term railway ambitions.
Marcos also seeks India’s space expertise
But railways were only half of the discussions.
Marcos also met with officials of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to explore cooperation with the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) as Manila pursues its long-term goal of developing and eventually launching its own satellite capabilities.
The Philippine government said Indian expertise could help strengthen Philippine capabilities in space technology.
Officials cited potential applications ranging from communications and weather forecasting to disaster management, defense and national security.
The move comes as the Philippines is already advancing its own satellite-development program.
PhilSA said in June that the country’s MULA satellite, described as the Philippines’ most advanced satellite to date, was undergoing space-environment testing, with a possible launch targeted for April 2027 aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-20 mission. The agency also said the government had approved plans for a MULA satellite constellation and a Philippine geostationary telecommunications satellite.
That means India’s involvement could potentially complement an existing Philippine space program rather than replace it.
Why the India partnership matters
The timing is significant.
Marcos is in India for the 18th BRICS Summit, held September 12–13, where the Philippines is participating as an outreach country while Marcos attends in his capacity as chair of ASEAN for 2026.
The Philippine government has been using the India visit to pursue broader trade, investment and infrastructure opportunities. Before the trip, officials said Marcos would also engage Indian business leaders and follow up on investment commitments made during his August 2025 state visit to India, when Indian companies pledged or committed $5.8 billion across sectors including technology, health, energy and infrastructure.
Marcos also met with representatives of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), reflecting another area where the Philippines and India could cooperate, particularly as the country faces increasingly serious climate and disaster risks.
The bigger picture
The emerging Philippines-India cooperation therefore extends well beyond railways.
For Manila, Indian participation could bring technical expertise, potential financing avenues and private-sector partnerships to major transportation projects while also helping strengthen the country’s developing space capabilities.
For Marcos, the discussions also fit into a broader strategy of expanding Philippine economic and strategic partnerships with major emerging economies.
The immediate question now is whether the talks with RITES and ISRO will translate into formal agreements, feasibility studies, financing arrangements or actual project participation.
If they do, India’s role could become increasingly important in two areas that are central to the Philippines’ development plans: moving millions of Filipinos by rail—and strengthening the country’s ability to observe, communicate and protect itself from space.
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