I

ndi
a’sFor
eignPol
i
cy:AOver
view

 Abst
ract

I
ndi
aisanemer
gingpoweri
nAs
iaandi
tneedst
odemandi
tsf
airpl
acei
nthe
i
nter
-st
ate hi
erar
chy.I
ndi
a's gl
obali
nfl
uence var
ied over t
he year
s when
i
[Link]
twi
l
lgar
nert
hatr
espectonl
yifi
tst
art
sper
for
ming i
na
mannerappr
opr
iat
etoakeyAsi
anpower
.Indi
a'spol
i
cyhaset
ernal
l
yregar
ded
t
heconcept
ionofnei
ghbour
hoodcol
l
ect
ivel
yofwi
deni
nghomocent
ri
cci
rcl
es,
ar
oundacent
ralaxi
sofhi
stor
icalandcul
tur
alcommonal
i
ti
es.I
ndi
a'sgr
owi
ng
economy,s
trat
egi
clocat
ion,as
sor
tmentoff
ri
endl
yand di
plomat
icpol
i
cyand
enor
mousandspi
ri
teddi
aspor
ahaswoni
tal
otofal
l
iest
hanenemi
es.

Keywor
ds:Economy,Power
,Di
aspor
a,St
rat
egi
c,Vi
brant
,Di
plomat
ic,Pol
i
cy,
Super
power
,

Cul
tur
al,Gl
obal
Aff
air
s,For
eignRel
ati
ons.

I
ntr
oduct
ion

TheFor
eignMi
nist
ryofRepubl
i
cofI
ndi
a,al
sodenot
edast
heMi
nist
ryofExt
ernal
Af
fai
rs,i
sthatt
heheadquar
ter
sans
wer
abl
efort
heconductoff
orei
gnr
elat
ionsof
Republ
i
cofI
ndi
[Link]
tht
hewor
ld'
sfi
ft
hlar
gestar
medspendi
ng,secondl
argest
ar
medf
orce,si
xthl
argesteconomybyi
nsi
gni
fi
cantchar
gesandt
hir
dmaj
or
economyi
nter
msofpur
chasi
ngpower
,Indi
aisar
egi
onal
impact
,anucl
ear
power
,aemer
ginggl
obal
powerandabuddi
ngsuper
power
.Indi
acont
ainsa
gr
owi
ngi
nter
nat
ional
inf
luenceandadi
sti
ngui
shedvoi
cei
nwor
ldaf
fai
rs.I
ndi
a
f
acesser
iouseconomi
candsoci
almat
ter
sasar
esul
tofcent
uri
esofeconomi
c
mani
pul
ati
onbycol
oni
alpower
[Link]
,lat
eraheadofi
ndependencef
rom
Br
it
isher
sin1
947,I
ndi
ahasbecomeanewl
ydevel
opi
ngcount
ry,hasahi
stor
yof
r
elat
ionshi
pwi
thnumer
ouscount
ri
es,i
sacons
tit
uentoft
heBRI
CSandakeypar
t
ofemer
gingwor
ld.I
ndi
awasoneoft
hef
oundi
ngmember
sofnumer
ousgl
obal
bodi
es—t
heUni
tedNat
ions,t
heAs
ianDevel
opmentBank,NewDevel
opment
BRI
CSBank,andG-
20—andt
hef
ounderoft
heNon-
Ali
gnedMovement
.

I
ndi
ahasputt
oget
hercont
endabi
gandaut
hor
it
ati
ver
olei
nnumer
ous
i
nter
nat
ional
organi
sat
ionsl
i
keEastAsi
aSummi
t,Wor
ldTr
adeOr
gani
zat
ion,
I
nter
nat
ional
fund(
IMF)
,G8+5andI
BSADi
alogueFor
um.I
ndi
aisal
soamember
oft
heAsi
anI
nfr
ast
ruct
ureI
nvest
mentBankandt
heShanghai
Cooper
ati
on
Or
gani
sat
ion(
SCO)
.

Regi
onal
l
y,Asi
ancount
rymaybeaapar
tofSAARCandBI
MSTEC.I
ndi
ahas
t
akenhal
finmanyi
nter
nat
ional
organi
sat
ionpeacekeepi
ngmi
ssi
onsandi
n2007,
i
twast
hesecond-
lar
gestt
roopcont
ri
but
ort
otheUni
tedNat
ions.I
ndi
ais
pr
esent
lyseeki
ngaper
manentseatwi
thi
ntheUni
tedNat
ionSecur
it
yCounci
l
,in
conj
unct
ionwi
tht
heot
herG4nat
ions.

 Li
ter
atur
eRevi
ew

 ActEastPol
i
cy

I
nthepost
-Col
dWarer
a,asubst
ant
ial
feat
ureofI
ndi
a'sf
orei
gnpol
i
cyi
sthatt
he
LookEastPol
i
[Link]
ingt
hecol
dwar
,Indi
a'sr
elat
ionswi
thi
tsSout
hEastAsi
an
nei
ghbour
swasnotver
yrobust
.Af
tert
heendoft
hecol
dwar
,thegover
nmentof
I
ndi
apr
inci
pal
l
yreal
i
sedt
hei
mpor
tanceofr
edr
essi
ngt
hisdi
spr
opor
ti
oni
nIndi
a's
f
orei
gnpol
i
[Link]
ly,t
heNar
simhaRaogover
nmenti
ntheear
lyni
net
ies
oft
hel
astcent
uryr
eveal
edt
hel
ookeas
tpol
i
cy.I
nit
ial
l
yitcent
redonr
est
orat
ive
pol
i
ti
cal
andeconomi
ccont
act
swi
tht
hecount
ri
esofEastandSout
h-EastAsi
a.
Atpr
esent
,undert
heLookEastPol
i
cy,t
heGover
nmentofI
ndi
aisgi
vi
ngdi
sti
nct
pr
omi
nenceont
heeconomi
cdevel
opmentofbackwar
dnor
theast
ernr
egi
onof
I
ndi
ataki
ngadvant
ageofhugemar
ketofAssoci
ati
onofSout
heastAsi
anNat
ions
f
urt
her
mor
easoft
heener
gyr
esour
cesont
hemar
keti
nanumberoft
hemember
count
ri
esofAssoci
ati
onofSout
heastAs
ianNat
ionsl
i
keBur
[Link]-
eastpol
i
cy
wasl
aunchedi
n1991j
ustaf
tert
heendoft
hecol
dwar
,ensui
ngt
hedi
ssol
uti
onof
t
heSovi
etUni
[Link]
tert
hecommencementofl
i
ber
ali
sat
ion,i
twasai
dent
ical
st
rat
egi
cpol
i
cydeci
si
ont
akenbyt
hegover
nmenti
nthef
orei
gnpol
i
[Link]
ment
ionPr
imeMi
nist
erManmohanSi
ngh"
itwasi
naddi
ti
onast
rat
egi
cshi
fti
n
I
ndi
a'svi
si
onoft
hegl
obeandI
ndi
a'spl
aceamongt
heevol
vi
ngwor
ldeconomy"
.
Thepol
i
cywasgi
venani
nit
ial
thr
ustwi
tht
hef
ormer
lyPr
imeMi
nist
erNar
asi
mha
Raovi
si
ti
ngChi
na,Japan,Sout
hKor
ea,Vi
etnam andSi
ngapor
eandI
ndi
a
becomi
ngansi
gni
fi
cantdi
aloguepar
tnerwi
thASEANi
[Link]
ncet
hest
artof
t
hiscent
ury,I
ndi
ahasgi
venabi
gthr
ustt
othi
spol
i
cybybecomi
ngasummi
tl
evel
par
tnerofASEAN(
2002)andget
ti
ngi
nvol
vedi
nsomer
egi
onal
ini
ti
ati
vesl
i
ket
he
BI
MSTECandal
sot
heGanga–MekongCooper
ati
onandcur
rent
lychangi
ngi
nto
amemberoft
heEastAsi
aSummi
t(EAS)i
nDecember2005.

 St
rat
egi
cPar
tner
s

I
ndi
a'sgr
owi
ng economy,st
rat
egi
cposi
ti
on,assor
tmentoff
ri
endl
yand
di
plomat
icf
orei
gnpol
i
cyandgr
eatandvi
vaci
ousdi
aspor
ahaswoni
tmor
e
al
l
iest
hanenemi
es.I
ndi
ahasf
ri
endl
yrel
ati
onswi
thnumer
ousnat
ionsi
n
t
hedevel
opi
ng wor
[Link]
,Indi
aisnotapar
tofanyvi
talmi
l
it
ary
al
l
iance,i
thascl
osest
rat
egi
candmi
l
it
aryassoci
ati
onwi
thmostoft
he
f
ell
ow keypower
[Link]
ionsmeasur
edI
ndi
a'scl
osesti
ncl
udet
heRussi
an
Feder
ati
on,I
srael
,Af
ghani
stan,Fr
ance,Bhut
an,Bangl
adesh,and t
he
Uni
tedSt
[Link]
aist
hemaj
orsuppl
i
erofmi
l
it
aryequi
pmentt
oIndi
a,
f
oll
owedbyI
sraelandFr
[Link]
dingt
osomeanal
yst
s,I
sraeli
ssett
o
over
haulRussi
aasI
ndi
a'smaj
ormi
l
it
aryandst
rat
egi
cpar
tner
.Thet
wo
nat
ionsal
sowor
ktoget
herex
tensi
vel
yint
hedomai
nofcount
er-
ter
ror
ism
and space t
echnol
ogy.I
ndi
a al
so enj
oys r
obustmi
l
it
aryr
elat
ions wi
th
numer
ousot
hernat
ions,i
ncl
udi
ngt
heUni
tedKi
ngdom,t
heUni
tedSt
ates,
Japan,Si
ngapor
e,Br
azi
l
,Sout
hAf
ri
caandI
tal
y.I
naddi
ti
on,I
ndi
aoper
ates
anai
rbasei
nTaj
i
kist
an,si
gnedabr
eakt
hroughdef
enceagr
eementwi
th
Qat
ari
n2008,andhasl
easedoutSupposi
ti
onI
sl
andf
rom Seychel
l
est
o
bui
l
danavalbasei
n201
5.I
ndi
ahasal
socount
erf
eitr
elat
ionshi
pswi
th
devel
opi
ng nat
ions,speci
fi
cal
l
ySout
hAf
ri
ca,Br
azi
l
,and Mexi
[Link]
nat
ionsof
tenr
epr
esentt
hei
nter
est
soft
hedevel
opi
ngcount
ri
est
hrough
economi
cfor
umssuchast
heG8+5,I
BSAandWTO.I
ndi
awasper
cei
ved
asoneoft
hest
andar
dconveyer
soft
heemer
gingwor
ldandappeal
edt
o
speakf
oraassor
tmentofmor
ethan30ot
herdevel
opi
ngnat
ionsatt
he
DohaDevel
opmentRound.I
ndi
an LookEastpol
i
cyhasf
aci
l
it
ated i
tto
devel
opgr
eat
ereconomi
candst
rat
egi
cpar
tner
shi
pwi
thSout
heastAsi
an
nat
ionsl
i
keSout
hKor
ea,Japan,andTai
wan.I
ndi
aal
soador
esf
ri
endl
y
r
elat
ionswi
tht
hePer
sianGul
fnat
ionsandut
mostmember
soft
heAf
ri
can
Uni
[Link]
sforNat
ionalSecur
it
yResear
chi
nNew Del
hipubl
i
shed
I
ndi
a'sSt
rat
egi
cPar
tner
s:ACompar
ati
veAssessmentandgr
adedI
ndi
a's
t
opmostst
rat
egi
cpar
tner
swi
thascor
eoutof90poi
nts:Russi
aar
isesout
ont
opmostwi
th62,t
rai
l
edbyt
heUni
tedSt
ates(
58)
,Fr
ance(
51)
,UK(
41)
,
Ger
many(
37)
,andJapan(
34)
.Indi
ahassi
gnedst
rat
egi
cpar
tner
shi
ppact
s
wi
thmor
ethant
wodozennat
ions/
int
ernat
ionalent
it
iesl
i
stedher
eint
he
sequent
ial
orderoft
hepact
sli
keFr
ancei
n1998,Russi
ain2000,Ger
many
i
n2001
,Maur
it
iusi
n2003,I
rani
n2003,Uni
tedKi
ngdom i
n2004,Uni
ted
St
atesi
n2004,EU i
n2004,I
ndonesi
ain2005,Chi
nai
n2005,Br
azi
lin
2006,Vi
etnam i
n2007,Omani
n2008,Kazakhst
ani
n2009,Aust
ral
i
ain
2009,Mal
aysi
ain 201
0,Sout
h Kor
ea i
n 201
0,SaudiAr
abi
ain 201
0,
Uzbeki
stani
n201
1,Af
ghani
stani
n201
1,Taj
i
kist
ani
n201
2,ASEANi
n201
2,
Japani
n201
4,Seychel
l
esi
n201
5,Mongol
i
ain201
5,Si
ngapor
ein201
5,
UAEi
n201
5,Rwandai
n201
7andI
sraeli
n201
[Link]
esent
ly,I
ndi
aist
aki
ng
st
eps t
owar
ds est
abl
i
shi
ng st
rat
egi
c par
tner
shi
ps wi
th Canada and
Ar
gent
[Link]
thoughI
ndi
ahasnotsi
gnedanyf
ormalst
rat
egi
cpar
tner
shi
p
t
reat
ieswi
thBhut
anandQat
ar,i
tsf
orei
gnmi
nist
ryf
requent
lydescr
ibes
r
elat
ionswi
tht
hesenat
ionsas'
str
ategi
c'.
  Resear
chMet
hodol
ogy

TheResear
cher
susedsecondar
yexpl
orat
iveanal
ysi
stechni
quesuppor
tedpas
t
l
i
ter
atur
efr
om sever
alj
our
nal
s,annualr
epor
ts,newspaper
s and magazi
nes
cover
ingwi
deassor
tmentofeducat
ionalar
ti
cl
esonI
ndi
anFor
eignPol
i
cy.I
nthi
s
r
esear
ch,r
esear
cherhasusedt
hesecondar
yresear
chmet
hodst
ocol
l
ectt
he
i
nfor
mat
ion.

 Concl
usi
on

Fr
om t
het
opoft
hedi
scussi
on,wet
endt
omi
ghtconcl
udet
hat
,Indi
a'sf
orei
gn
pol
i
cyhasal
waysr
egar
dedt
heconceptofnei
ghbour
hoodasoneofwi
deni
ng
concent
ri
cci
rcl
es,ar
oundacent
ralax
isofhi
stor
icalandcul
tur
alcommonal
i
ti
es.
Asmany as22 mi
l
li
on peopl
e ofI
ndi
an or
igi
nli
ve and wor
k over
seasand
est
abl
i
shani
mper
ati
vel
i
nkwi
tht
hemot
hernat
[Link]
ant
ialpar
tofI
ndi
a's
f
orei
gnpol
i
cyhasbeent
osaf
eguar
dthei
rwel
far
eandwel
l
bei
ngwi
thi
nthebasi
s
oft
hel
awsoft
henat
ionwher
etheyl
i
ve.I
ndi
ahasal
so pl
ayed anvi
taland
i
nfl
uent
ialr
olei
not
heri
nter
nat
ionalor
gani
sat
ions.I
ndi
aispr
esent
lyseeki
nga
per
manentseati
ntheUni
tedNat
ionSecur
it
yCounci
l
,al
ongwi
tht
heot
herG4
nat
ions.I
ndi
a'sf
orei
gnpol
i
cyi
sdet
ermi
nedbypr
inci
paldel
i
ber
ati
ons,t
hrough
whi
chl
i
eit
srel
ati
onswi
tht
heUni
tedSt
atesandChi
[Link]
tisessent
ialf
orany
nat
ion,I
ndi
a'spr
ime i
mpor
tance i
ssaf
eguar
ding convent
ionalsecur
it
yfori
ts
nat
ionandi
tspeopl
e.

 Ref
erences
ht
tps:
//
en.
[Link]
ki
pedi
[Link]
g/wi
ki
/For
eign_pol
i
cy_of
_the_Nar
endr
a_Modi
_go
ver
nment
.

ht
tps:
//
en.
wiki
pedi
[Link]
g/wi
ki
/For
eign_r
elat
ions_of
_Indi
a#Pol
i
cy.

ht
tps:
//
en.
wiki
pedi
[Link]
g/wi
ki
/For
eign_r
elat
ions_of
_Indi
a#Act
_East
_Pol
i
cy.

ht
tps:
//
en.
wiki
pedi
[Link]
g/wi
ki
/For
eign_r
elat
ions_of
_Indi
a#St
rat
egi
c_par
tner
s.

ht
tps:
//
en.
wiki
pedi
[Link]
g/wi
ki
/For
eign_r
elat
ions_of
_Indi
a#Bi
l
ater
al_and_r
eg
i
onal
_rel
ati
ons.

ht
tps:
//
en.
wiki
pedi
[Link]
g/wi
ki
/For
eign_r
elat
ions_of
_Indi
a#I
nter
nat
ional
_or
g
ani
sat
ions.

ht
tps:
//
en.
wiki
pedi
[Link]
g/wi
ki
/For
eign_r
elat
ions_of
_Indi
a#I
nter
nat
ional
_di
sp
ut
es.

ht
tps:
//
en.
wiki
pedi
[Link]
g/wi
ki
/For
eign_r
elat
ions_of
_Indi
a#Mi
nist
ry_of
_Ext
er
nal
_Af
fai
rs.