Indian

Main objectives of
Foreign Policy:
The foreign policy of India has some basic aims and objectives.

These aims and objectives of Indian Foreign Policy can be divided into three broad
heads:

1. The Central objective,

2. The Intermediary objectives and
3. The Distant objectives.

Central objectives: The most important central objectives of the foreign policy of a
state are always the maintenance of national interest, national independence and
sovereignty.

Intermediary objectives: The important intermediary objectives are the up keeping

of the economic interest of the state and also to increase its power and prestige in the
international field.

Distant objectives: The important distant objectives are to shape an international

system befitting the state’s dream and ideology.

The foreign policy of India also aims at maintaining international peace and security, to
oppose imperialism, to stand against the apartheid policy, to propagate the peaceful and
political settlement of international disputes, to foster peaceful coexistence, to remain
non-aligned and non- committed, and to maintain the unity and solidarity of the third
world.

National security, interest and independence: Maintenance of national interest

is thus the basic objectives of India’s foreign policy. The main purpose of the foreign
policy is always to give priority to the question of ensuring security from external
aggression and if the question of internal security is associated with it, then that too will
come under the purview of the foreign policy.

In fact, the idea of national interest has a close link with the international system. If the
international system becomes complicated than that may have a bad impact on the
security and developmental activities of different states.
Economic development: India is a fast developing economy. Over 1.2 billion people
lives here. Economic development is a pre-requisite for the overall development of the
people of India. India is focusing on industrialization and trying to bring foreign capital
in various sectors. These industries are expected to create employment for a large
number of people.

The question of national development is also associated with the issue of national
interest. The principal aim of Indian Foreign policy is to ensure all pervasive national
economic development and to expand the area of external trade as well as of
accelerating the pace of development.

One of the main objectives of Indian foreign policy is to create such a congenial and
favorable and international system and environment which can help her national
security and developmental activities ran unhindered.

International peace and security: Another objective of Indian foreign policy is to

maintain international peace and security. India is always eager to maintain
international peace and hence always propagate for disarmament. India has requested
time and again the other states to stop arm competition and organize military groupings
and alliances.

India also stood in the past and always stands against imperialism and this is one of the
main aims of India’s foreign policy. To highlight her motto India always supported the
freedom movement of various states like the people’s war in Namibia and the liberation
movement of Palestine.

Likewise, India is against the policy of apartheid and she always hated it. India always
stood firmly against the policy of apartheid followed by the South African government
run by the white people. For this reason, India even organized a fund for helping the
Front Like States against South Africa. Ultimately the policy itself lost its base and force.

Settle international disputes through peaceful means: Another basic objective

of India’s foreign policy is to settle all international disputes through peaceful means
and politically. India always try to solve international matters in a peaceful manner.
Hence India has expressed her complete faith and allegiance to the policy and ideology
declared by the UNO. In all international conflicts that carried the possibility of the
breach of peace and disturbances in the International system, India always endeavored
for the pacific settlement of them.

Peaceful co-existence: Naturally another special objective of Indian foreign

policy is her faith on the policy of peaceful co-existence. The first Prime Minister of
India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru once said that the only alternative to peaceful co-
existence is co-destruction. That is why India declared the principle of Panchashila
which spoke of:
1. Mutual respect of the state for one another’s geographical solidarity and sovereignty,
2. Mutual agreement for not to interfere each other’s internal affairs,
3. Maintenance of equality,
4. Providing mutual advantages to each other and
5. Maintenance of peaceful co-existence.

In modern complex world most of the states have began to keep faith on the policy of
peaceful co-existence.

Non-alignment policy: Another striking objective of Indian foreign policy is her

faith and maintenance of the policy of non-alignment. After the Second World War the
world was divided into two poles— one was the capitalist block headed by the United
States of America and the other one was the Socialist block headed by the earlier USSR
now dismantled. That was the period of cold war and the world was tensed enough to
witness another global war (the Third World War) – between these two antagonist
blocks which was sure to turn it into a nuclear war. Most of the countries sided with
either this block or that. But India was unwilling to lose her identity so easily and hence
maintained the policy of non-alignment – a policy which gave her both prestige and
position. Later on many countries of the world began to follow the Indian policy of non-
alignment and thus developed the non-aligned movement better known in its short
name— NAM. This has also fostered the unity and integrity of the third world and to
make this unity solid by extending co-operation of all sorts among the third world
countries is another objective of India’s foreign policy.