With the rise of Narendra Modi, foreign policy in India has shifted away from non-alignment and towards pragmatic engagement of all major powers in the world. Even within its regional sphere, the Modi government increased its focus on South Asian relations to the renewed expectation of its neighbours.1
As for conflicts, Indian foreign policy indicated a firmer response to China concerning border management. In fact, China’s rise remains a significant challenge to India, where the Modi government seeks to balance trade and economic ties with increased military presence as a deterrent. The current government is also vying for increased diplomatic relations in the face of China’s dominance.1
When evaluating how India is faring today in its foreign relations, Narendra Modi has been successful in engaging with the outside world but not necessarily improving its neighbourly relations. In fact, China appears to have been swaying India’s neighbours through investments in their economies. With Pakistan, relations have remained mixed with impromptu visits and military strikes in the contested region of Kashmir. And with former Cold War rivals, closer relations seem to be shifting away from Russia and towards the United States.2
Beyond bilateral relations, India’s engagement with international organizations remains diverse and its reputation towards developing countries is still excellent. The country is involved in many multilateral institutions such as the G-20, the G-77, the World Bank, and so forth. Of course, as discussed in this seminar, India remains an important figure in organizations such as IBSA and BRICS, especially in relation to development initiatives.3
Footnotes
1. Pant, Harsh V. (2014, November). Out With Non-Alignment, In With a ‘Modi Doctrine’. The Diplomat.
3. Tilak, J. (2013). South-South Cooperation: India’s programme of development assistance–nature, size and functioning. Asian Education and Development Studies, 3(1), 58-75.
Peter – thanks for your fascinating and thorough blog about India. I particularly found your writing on the diversity within India informative and well written, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it incorporates with Indian development agenda (some questions you may want to consider: are certain communities prioritized or privileged in development? Does the Indian Government, historical Northern Actors or other involved actors have a one-size-fits-all policy for development or are plans and projects community-based?)
I’m really interested in more about the IR of India as you look at its role within Development Concerns today. In particular, India has been a longtime “donor” (under traditional OECD terms) of development aid and cooperation. Is that shifting? I will be interested to see your findings!