Geopolitics/Geo-strategy as defined by Alfred T Mahan is fusion of geography and politics

which determine where a country should put its military and diplomatic capital to further its
national interests 

 Say Syria – geo-political conflict between U.S. and Russia.

Geo-strategy: Strategy required in dealing with geopolitical issues

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kveyLou782w

Objectives and Principles of Indian Foreign Policy  

 OBJECTIVES
 PRINCIPLES
 DETERMINANTS 

Chinmay Ghare Khan: Any country’s foreign policy is a means to ensure its global image and Conclusion - PEGH
to further its national interest
 India’s foreign policy
Morgenthau - Supreme goal of any FP is the protection of its national interest is governed by its
history, geography,
Hence India’s foreign policy has been to protect and promote what it perceives as its national economy and polity
interests and to project India’s image at the global geo-political arena  Still common aim
remains to
How India Sees the World: Our national interests cannot be absolute. They have to be in a zone achieve further well-
of relativity taking into account national interests of other. Ex. Test ban in Indo-US nuclear deal being of its
A successful foreign policy is one which provides a country’s political leadership with a range of citizen interest
options and expands its strategic space.

CONTINUITY AND CHANGE IN INDIA’S FP 

Q. What changes have we seen in our foreign policy in last few years?
A. Sir, while the basis of our foreign policy remains same, i.e. our national interests; the style and energy
in how we pursue them have changed. We have become more assertive of our interests and status as
great power in the region. Also, we have raised India’s presence globally by more engagements and soft
power projections and have also been moving towards more pragmatism from ideological posturing.

Q. How can we differentiate Gujral doctrine with Modi neighbourhood policy?

A. Both policies give significant priority to our neighbourhood and work towards sharing Indian fruits of
development with its neighbours along with ensuring their security. Only difference lies in that will
Gujral doctrine was non-reciprocal in extending benefits, India’s neighbourhood first is more
transactional. Our expectations of what our neighbours can do for us have increased.
 FP is based on long term interests and Continuity: Kanwal Sibal
reflects continuity- reflects foresightedness
 However it is imperative that nations adjust  Ensuring Territorial Integrity and sovereignty
their goals and strategies according to the  International peace and anti-imperialism
changing environment- reflects pragmatism  Ensuring internal development and well-being of its citizens
  Hence FP reflect change and continuity
After Independence, steps to achieve
these
 Non-alignment since 1947
 Panchsheel; solidarity with 3rd
world
 Deciding on issues based on merit
 Just world order and support to
UN
 Strategic autonomy.
o More powerful a country,
more autonomous it can
be.
o Even developing countries
like India by skillful use
of diplomacy can gain
strategic autonomy.
After 1962 war – Realpolitik to achieve
the aims
 Arms from USA
 Tof P&Friendship – USSR
 1974 nuclear test
 Maintaining strategic autonomy
 Democracy: See archives (Democracy as Indian foreign policy)
Post-Cold war era
 Force to make structural changes on both domestic and external fronts as
o Most trusted ally disintegrated
o Economy in a bad shape
o Globalization.
 Gujral doctrine (5 principles)
o India does not ask for reciprocity
o No South Asian country should allow its territory to be used
against India
o No interference in internal affairs.
o Respect territorial integrity and sovereignty.
o Disputes through peaceful bilateral negotiations
 Manmohan doctrine
o Economics at the heart of the doctrine
o India’s developmental agenda should guide its foreign policy
 Greater integration with the world economy will benefit
India
 India to work with international community - to create a
global Economic and security envt for all nations
 More focus on regional institutional capacity and regional
connectivity
 How India Sees the world: Shift from defensive and reactive approach to
a more coherent and focussed posture.

MODI DOCTRINE

 India first
 Engaging competing global powers (Quad-SCO; Israel-Arab; Saudi-Iran)
 Focus on diaspora (Madison Square event)
 Modi government’s Panchamrit are:
o Samman — dignity and honour in global politics;
o Samvad — greater engagement and dialogue;
o Samriddhi — shared prosperity;
o Suraksha — regional and global security; and
o Sanskriti evam Sabhyata — cultural and civilizational linkages.” 

Shyam Saran PBM C. Rajamohan

 Modi’s policies are built  Nehru’s shadow still looms large  Increased decisiveness
on the past  Obsessed with Territorial integrity  Attitude of major power
 Difference - Energy and  Coalitions not alliances o 3rd largest economy in PPP terms,
 Reluctant to use force 3rd largest military, 5th largest
 military spending
 Working within International law
style o ICJ; Chagos; Palestine
 Averse to Grand strategizing
 Increase India’s soft power

Rajiv Sikri (“Indian Foreign Policy: Determinants, Issues and Challenges”): India indulged in moralistic
posturing, and had an air of self-importance and self-righteousness as it strutted on the world stage with
lofty statements that did not match its real strength. It is only under Prime Minister Modi that this
deeply ingrained attitude has begun to change. India’s foreign policy today is not hobbled by ideology or
sentimentalism. India is seeking friends and partners, though not as a supplicant or as a weak country
that can be manipulated and wants to be a "leading power,” not just a balancer or a "swing state” in the
international system.
Harsh V Pant
Amitabh Mattoo
Arul Louis
 Nehruvian idealism to
Realpolitik  5 elements of Modi Doctrine
 Decisive Break
 Modi doctrine - replaces the  Strong, self-reliant and confident India
 Instead of Cold war
long term foreign policy of  Peaceful, stable and economically integrated
tactics -> Open
non-alignment South Asia
dialogue and
 Vigorous pursuit of Maritime  Emphasis on Soft power – (Traditions, Talent,
engagements
powers Tourism , Trade, Technology)
 Less talk of vestiges of
 Continuity with Manmohan  Multiple alignments with all great powers instead
colonialism - more
Doctrine on economic front of non-alignment
reliance in India’s
 Helped India position itself  Willingness to raise issues of concern at bilateral
Traditions and culture
in leading role rather than level
just a balancing force.
Happymon Jacob
1. Bureaucratic adhocism P. Stobdan: Security centric zero-sum game.
2. Tactical considerations
3. Political expediency M.K. Narayanan: failed to change anything in
4. No grand strategic blue-print substance
5. Securitization of Indo-Pak relations
6. Antagonized Russia and China Manoj Joshi: Lack of coherent structure
7. Compromised with strategic autonomy by aligning with USA

Various changes in IFP (P.B. Mehta)

 Embraced over pragmatism shedding cold-war idealism.

o Abandonment of Reflexive Anti-Americanism 
 Significant economic content to foreign policy
o Improving relations with neighbours - Gujral Doctrine 
o Look East Policy- India’s strategy and econ concerns 
o Others - Look West, CCAP, Presence in Africa, Latin America 
 Para-diplomacy
 Adopted realism: enthusiastic endorsement to cautious prudence- aware of international
currents.
 Crossing the Nuclear Rubicon - declared itself as de-facto nuclear state

Shangri-La

 At a time when world is facing power shifts, India would portray itself as independent
power.
 “Our friendships are not alliances of containment”
 “India does not see Indo-Pacific as a strategy or club of limited members. Nor as a
grouping that seeks to dominate
 India’s own engagement in the Indo-Pacific region from the shores of America to Africa
will be inclusive
 Free, open and inclusive regions and rules based order. “Rules and norms should be
based consent of all and not powers of few.
 Asia of rivalry will hold us back, Asia of cooperation will shape this century.
  Emerging multipolar world is becoming too complicated for binary choices.

Zorawar Daulat Singh: Modi has combined Orthodox ideas from Cold war era with 21st century
pragmatism.

Conclusion: Fundamental objectives of FP like economy and security remain same, what
changes are the methods to achieve those objectives. India is today less of rule-taker and rule-
breaker than before.

Determinants of Foreign Policy 

Granville Austin writes that India did not start from a clean slate. Foreign policy is not made in
vacuum, there are multiple factors shaping country’s foreign policy.
Historical Factors Geographical (Geo-strategic Location) Factors

 Access to wisdom and collective experience of their  Napolean Bonaparte: Any country’s foreign policy is
predecessors. determined by its geography
 China - 2 centuries of humiliation  It is said that we can change history but not geography
o China - irredentist state - strategic culture  -  The most permanent and stable element of the foreign
expansion policy
 Colonial Legacy  Dis-advantaged countries
o Inherited 627 treaties as legal o Landlocked
and sacrosanct o Tropical
o Foreign policy structure from British India o Bordering superpowers
o C. Rajamohan: Curzon and Nehru  WORLD EXAMPLES
o Border Disputes; Aksai Chin, McMohan o USA – large landmass - helped follow
line Isolationist policy
o Colonial weight - territorial integrity and o Britain - Naval superpower
external sovereignty - NAM - Strategic o Russia- buffer states
Autonomy – Anti-imperialism  Nehru: India is a bridge b/w East and the West and
o Pakistan becomes inevitably involved in major global issues
o Treaty Diplomacy - ToP,F,C - Nepal,  Vajpayee: One can change friends, but not neighbours
Bhutan  Non-Alignment: presence of USSR and China in
 The loss in the war with China continues to neighbourhood.
dominate Indian prism of looking at geo-political  India’s unresolved borders  - China, Pakistan - conflict
relations & Discord
 However, national interests always trump history.  India’s central position in Indian Ocean -
Ex. Japan’s closeness with U.S. despite nuclear o Pivot to Asia
bomb; EU after World Wars. o World trade and commercial intercourse
 M.K. Narayanan: One should not forget history, o Strong contender as a Net security provider in
however, one should not also be prisoner of history the Indian Ocean Region (IOR)
 Other criticisms of historical approach to o Security of IOR important
comparative politics  Basis of foreign policy. Ex. Look east, west and north.
  Contextual approach
Economy
 Reason for US hegemony
 Developed Countries : Highly industrialized and
economically developed
 Requirement of raw materials leads to mercantilist
foreign policy- development of underdevelopment
 Can use foreign aid as a means of foreign policy
 Economic progress has led to rise of rest.
 Japan and Germany as trading states.
 India is storehouse of vast natural resources: led to
pacifist tradition
 NAM was also a result of economic compulsions:
aid from both blocs
 South-South cooperation, NIEO.
 Economic crisis in 1980s led to new set of foreign
policy from 1991.
 Relations with Russia, West Asia, East Asia etc.
 Manmohan Singh tried to use economic
interdependence to improve relations with Pakistan
Social Structure
 India is a subcontinent with an extremely
complex heterogeneous society
 Diff - ethnic, religious & linguistic groups present
in India
 Domestic consensus is considered as strength of
Foreign policy of a nation. Ex. Inter-war
Germany
o But in a prismatic society like India, it
becomes challenging to arrive at a
domestic consensus
o Complications increase because of
unnatural partition
o Civilisational state
 Nehru said: foreign policy is extension of
domestic policy.
 Various fp decisions
o Palestine: Talmiz Ahmed – secular; But
CRM -  sentiments of minority
o SL: Tamil factor-> policy of sailing in 2
boats
 India’s large size - cannot be easily defeated in war -
lot of territory to take over. Ex. - Hitler could not beat
Russia
 Karakoram and Himalayas - natural barrier in the
northern frontier.
 India building Chabahar port to bypass tyranny of
geography
 Determine the needs as well as capabilities of a nation
to fulfill the needs of its ppl
 Role of geography has declined due to technological
and scientific advancements.
 C. Rajamohan: Geographies are not static, they evolve,
sometimes slowly and quickly at others. How we
imagine and construct regions changes according to
circumstances. The British Raj extended from Aden to
Malacca at its peak. “South East Asia” did not exist
until the Second World War. The “Asia-Pacific” came
into usage only in the late 1980s. The “Indo-Pacific”
was a novelty a decade ago.
 George Heine and Prof. Ramesh Thakur call
globalization as end of geography
Internal Situation
 Sudden changes, disturbances within the internal
environment influence the nature and course of foreign
policy
 US - stability - but recent instability like the white
supremacist rally at the time of high tensions with N.
Korea
 Too much focus on the domestic politics leaves lesser
scope to focus on the outside world.
 Syria - Civil war
 Institutions, electoral system, social structure,
government system etc.
 India -> Role of parliament, coalition politics, pressure
groups etc.
Leadership
 Thucydides in “The Peloponnesian War” showed
contrast between noble Pericles and self-seeking
Alcibiades.
 Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, Kautilya have all focussed upon
qualities of king.
 o Bangladesh: Illegal immigration-> social
violence in north-east
o Nepal: relation of kinship: Roti-beti ka
rishta (S.D. Muni)
 India itself is in a process of nation building and
faces secessionist movements
o Fact that same ethnic gps are present in
the bordering areas impact both how India
looks at its neighbours and vice versa
 Role of culture.
 Role of economic structure of society. Ex. Young
demography; inequality
 Role of leaders like Wodrow Wilson, Churchill, Stalin,
Gorbachev
 Morgenthau based human nature and statecraft as the
basis of foreign policy.
 In India, Nehru -> I. Gandhi -> Vajpayee -> Manmohan -
> Modi
 With rise in mixed-actor model, decision-making has
become diffused
 Role is constrained by social structure and institutions.
 According to Nehru, foreign policy is often determined
by domestic policy.

Culture 

 Culture shapes our world view. Thus cross-cultural interactions between different world
views thus can produce conflicts (Clash of civilizations)

o Involved political, strategic and organizational culture.

o Amb. Shyam Saran (How India sees the world)
o India texts mention Jambudweep Mandal, of which India is one of the petals.
o Chinese texts consider it as the Middle Kingdom
o Kamandak’s Nitishastra mentions preference to mantrashakti (consultations) over
Utgahshakti (military means)
o States with uniform culture can pursue effective foreign policy due to support. Ex. Support to
NAM in India.
o India is a Civilizational state
o Salman Rushdie in his book - Midnight Children - there is no other place - “Yesterday and
Tomorrow have the same word”- shows continuity.
o Pt. Nehru acknowledged - Independent India’s FP has been shaped by its history and culture 
 Pluralist (Buddhism) & pacifist (non-violence) culture, cosmopolitan (Vasudheva
Kutumbakam) world view  - Opposition to racism 
 India’s culture has shaped Non-alignment and Panchsheel 
 Nehru acknowledges - roots in policy of Ashoka
o Stephen P Cohen - Traces India’s realist legacy to Kautilya’s Arthashastra 
o And there are other scholars who believe that phil and cultural underpinnings are actually
attempts to cloak India’s realist ambitions.
 According to A. Appadorai, deliberate use of Indian culture to gain leadership of
post-colonial societies.
 Culture also used as foreign policy tool to spread soft power. Ex. Yoga, Buddhist
linkages with ASEAN; Sufi linkage with CA.
o C. Rajamohan: culture as a measure of foreign policy should not result into cultural
chauvinism as in inter-war Germany.
o Other views about Indian soft power.
 Para-Diplomacy 

 Art 1 - IC - Union of States

o Even though federation not mentioned - federalism is the basic str 
  Role of Federal Units in foreign policy making 

John Kincaid
Traditional Approach
Harsh V Pant
 Contemporary approach
 Once a unit joins a
 Liberalisation and Globn  Federalization of India’s
federation - external
 Para Diplomacy foreign policy
sovereignty ends
o Federal units have started  Decentralisation of foreign
 Confederation vs
conducting international relations policy - because global
Federations
directly. politics= glocal
 IC - Foreign Affairs -
o No longer seen as obstacles but
Union List
Drivers of Growth

Economic Para Diplomacy

Challenges
Happymon Jacob
 Vibrant Gujarat
 Competition
 States can play significant role in  Telangana - MOEA in state
among political
o Economic development  States Division in MEA
parties
o Resource Managament o Ltd to economic issues
 Ruling party
 Teesta water o Huge scope for strategic & political
from a diff party
o Security at Borders too
thatn at the
 Need local participation  Border states
centre
o Kanak Mani Dixit views
 New World order 
World order denotes the way in which power is divided among various stakeholders in the
International sphere. Kenneth Waltz views
World is at an inflexion point. 

 New global disorder: Since the end of cold war, old order has crumbled but new order
has not yet come into existence 
 The current world order is in a state of flux (C. Rajamohan: )
o Trump’s unilateralism and deviation from traditional American foreign policy.
o To hedge against current volatility, multiple alignments are taking place. Ex.
SCO, India-Japan, India-South Korea etc.
o U.S. allies are pursuing strategic autonomy.
o It has persuaded China to show greater flexibility towards India and Japan.
o If Sino-US tensions have opened up space for India, those between Washington
and Moscow shrink Delhi’s room for manoeuvre.
o U.S.-North Korea thaw has left East Asian region in vacuum.
o ASEAN (Indo-pacific) has become new battle-ground for great power games.
 Harsh V. Pant: Not only geo-politically, but also technologically world order is
witnessing flux.
o Cyber-security and tech-race has become a new battle arena for countries.
o Technology has been disrupting relation between state and population and
creating new concerns like inequality.

Henry Kissinger India’s Role What should India do

 Book : World Order
 Poses diff scenarios
o USA: pre-eminent power but not
hegemon
o China : Emerge as a great power
but not at par with USA
o Cluster of middle powers
 India, Jap, SK, Vietnam,
Australia
 Unipolarity can never be long term
 Bipolarity is out of question
 Multipolarity is the most probable
future world order
 Polaity of Power thesis by KW and
Mearsheimer - consider multipolarity as
the most unstable
Mearsheimer - Multipolar world order with
Russia, USA and China as the main poles.
 Whatever the order, India will
have a major role to play due to Kautilya to 21st Century
its -
o civilizational values
o Ideological power
o Econ & Military power
 India will definitely emerge as a
pole
CRM
 After a century of false starts and
fatal unreleased potential India
has emerged as a major swing
state.
 Modi’s informal summit in
Wuhan and Sochi are example of
new nimble-footed diplomacy
towards major powers.
 It will play a critical role in the P. Stobdan: India needs to follow
upcoming geopolitical issues
Shyam Saran
How India sees the world : from
 Only India possesses such
civilisational values that can
contribute for the stability and
harmonious development of
New World Order
 Only India can spread the
message of
o Pluralism, humanity
o Toleration
 because of its cosmopolitan
temper and collaborative
attitude
 To achieve greatness a nation
must stand for something
greater that itself
Non-alignment 2.0: Our approaches to
international law [and] international norms are
overly inhibited by anxieties about the potential
implications that our commitment to certain
global norms may have for our options in the
neighbourhood.’
 However, India’s current ability
to respond is constrained by
Nagarjuna’s non-dogmatic precept of
institutional and policy
Madhyamaka (Middle path)
weaknesses in trade and defence.

C. Rajamohan (“Rearranging the BRICS”): The world is no longer similar to 1990s when India readily
entered into RIC strategic triangle to promote multipolar world against American interventionism. No
world is shifting from US-led globalization to a Chinese-led one. In this context BRICS no longer is
ideological posturing in India’s strategic book-keeping but is a mode to place itself in global power
relations.

Suhasini Haider: At a time of flux across the world fuelled by America’s capriciousness, West Asia’s
internal combustion, China’s aggression and Russian inscrutability, India is certainly well poised to be a
democratic, dependable leader of an alternative global coalition. The government must, however, be
more sure-footed and clear of its own principles of engagement.

Rajiv Sikri (“India’s foreign policy challenges”): First, India itself must have a strategic vision. One could
say that India has three security rings. The innermost ring is from the Hindu Kush through the Himalayas
to the Irrawaddy, the natural geographic boundaries of the Indian sub-continent. What happens here is
of direct and vital interest to India. The second ring extends from the Straits of Aden and Hormuz to the
Malacca Straits, the choke points of the Indian Ocean in the west and east. The outermost ring covers
the expanse from Suez to the Pacific Ocean rim, the extremities of the Asian continent. These three rings
constitute India’s immediate, extended and strategic neighbourhood respectively.

Indian Ocean Policy

Alfred T Mahan KM Pannikar Harsh V Pant

 Whoever controls Indian ocean  India needs to ensure that  Fortunately India has come out of
would dominate Asia Indian ocean remains India’s its CONTINENTAL mindset
Ocean  More open than ever in working
  India’s freedom depends upon
 Indian ocean is the key to 7 seas with like-minded countries.
domination of the Indian Ocean
 India must learn from its past
Robert D. Kaplan (“Monsoon”): Future of Gurpreet Khurana: India’s geo-strategic
mistakes
politics will unfold over Indian Ocean. frontier is expanding.

Indian Ocean 
 Geostrategic Steps taken by India
o Choke points –
Bab-al Mandab,  Maritime Doctrine, 2015: Ensuring Safe Seas
Hormuz, Malacca o SAGAR: security cooperation: Role of Net security provider
o String of Pearls o Tri-lateral security framework with Sri-Lanka and Maldives
o China’s base at o Multilateral cooperation on non-traditional security
Djibouti o Blue economy: Sagarmala
o Other major o Cooperate with major power: Military exercises -> Malabar, SIMBEX,
powers like USA, JIMEX, Konkan
Britain, France  Collaborating with like-minded countries to ensure freedom of navigation,
o Non-traditional
combat piracy, response to disaster management
threats-> Somali o U.S. -> Malabar, LEMOA, QUAD
Piracy, Drug
o Japan -> Malabar, QUAD, AAGC
Trafficking,
o Singapore-> Logistics, SIMBEX, Changi
Migration and
human trafficking o France->Framework for strategic coordination in Indo-Pacific.
 Geo-econ o Indonesia-> Global Maritime Fulcrum Policy, Jaypura naval base
o Emerging market o West Asia-> Duqm port, Chabahar
economies in o Africa-> visited littoral states.
littoral states o South-Korea’s New Southern policy + Act East
o World Trade  Revitalizing IORA, BIMSTEC, Indian Ocean Naval Symposium
o Energy Security  Sambandh initiative with 10 Indian Ocean littoral states, involving maritime
o Ocean resources - naval exercises.
Fishing, PMN,  Syed Munir Khusru: Act East Policy with maritime cooperation and naval
exercises along with joint explorations.
 Quad and concept of Indo-pacific.
 Engagement with Pacific-Island nations.
 JAI meet in Buenos Aires G-20 meet.
 Quad- Indo-pacific
 Shinzo Abe (“Asia’s Democratic Security Diamond”): Peace, stability and freedom of
navigation in the Pacific and Indian Ocean are inseparable. All four powers should work
together.
 Abe referred to book by Dara Shikoh describing “dynamic coupling” of the Indian and
Pacific oceans as the “confluence of the two seas”.
 C. Rajamohan (“Samudra Manthan”): The seas of western-pacific and the Indian ocean
must be seen as a single integrated geo-political theatre, the Indo-Pacific
 The term Indo-Pacific itself denotes the centrality of India in regional security
architecture.
 USA has renamed its Pacific command as Indo-Pacific command.
 ARIA, a bill that attempts to counter Chinese hegemony and covers US relations with
India, Japan, South Korea, the Pacific Islands and the ASEAN countries among others.
ARIA authorizes $1.5 billion every year to be appropriated for the next five years for
enhanced diplomatic and economic assistance to countries of the region.

Acceptance of Australia in India-Japan-U.S. framework

India has been reluctant in accepting Australia in However, there is some merit in considering Australia’s entry and
the grouping for multiple reasons.
 One, it was Australia under Prime Minister
Kevin Rudd which had decided to exit the
quad last time around in 2008, in deference
to China’s concerns.
 Two, Australia’s economy is heavily
dependent on commodity exports to China.
 Three, Chinese money is deeply enmeshed
in Australian politics owing to lax rules
related to the foreign funding of political
parties.
 And four, unlike Japan and India, Australia
has no direct dispute with China.
concomitant resumption of the quad.
 First, despite all its economic and political ties with China,
Canberra has been very critical of Chinese activities in the
South China Sea.
 Second, Australia is mulling reforms to its political donation
laws in order to limit foreign influence in its politics.
 Third, Australia is a major maritime democracy in the Indo-
Pacific region.
 Fourth, there are already three trilateral in operation—India-
US-Japan, India-Japan-Australia, and US-Japan-Australia.
Coalescing them into one quadrilateral will not be a bad idea.
 And fifth, the last time the quadrilateral engagement was
attempted, it was successful in making China sit up, take notice,
and register protest with all the members.

Why India accepted Quad?
 India cannot solely fulfill desired
role in 'neighbourhood first' policy.
 India’s neighbours—as foreign
secretary S. Jaishankar has pointed
out—are bound to feel more
reassured.
 Insecurities out of India's competing
economy and delays in projects are
also likely to be assuaged.
 Natural evolution of Act East policy
 Shyam Saran: Quad is an anchor for
the Indo-Pacific
Why India should not accept Quad.
 They argue that India is needlessly dragging itself into the US-China
rivalry.
 U.S. is already a receding power and by co-opting itself in US plans,
India will stand to lose out.
 We need strategic autonomy. India's independent decision-making may
get impacted
 India should be focussing more on Indian Ocean region than Indo-pacifi
where it may stand to lose out its strategic leverage and image as a
balancing force.
 Major Powers in region will further exacerbate regional rivalries.
 Shiv Shankar Menon: The concept of free and open Indo-Pacific
assumes significance of only maritime region, while ceding continental
 power to China. For India, both are important and thus focus should by
on both

 Suhasini Haider has pointed out following issues:

o Individual countries of Quad are still not convergent on goals. Ex. BRI, focus on
Indian or Pacific ocean
o India is still confused and reticent on maritime security part.
o India is also part of SCO
 As pointed out by Jagannath P Panda, U.S. and China are increasing seeing areas of
convergence.
 C. Rajamohan: USA, Japan and Australia have much deeper economic and political ties
with China than India and thus containment is not a goal.
 According to Kanwal Sibal, quad is an arrangement of convenience.
 According to C. Rajamohan, Quad is a flexible mechanism of cooperation and lacks
institutional heft.
 Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar has stated that it is one among the many groupings. He
also has pointed that any rigid alliances are detrimental to Indian interests and we should
pursue ‘open minded' diplomacy.
 PM Modi in Shangri-La summit downplayed closed regional alliances and said that
India will chart its own path.
o “India does not see Indo-Pacific as a strategy or club of limited members. Nor as
a grouping that seeks to dominate
o India’s own engagement in the Indo-Pacific region from the shores of America to
Africa will be inclusive
o Free open and inclusive regions and rules based order. “Rules and norms should
be based consent of all and not powers of few.

Way forward:

 Gurmeet Kanwal: The Quad – the concert of democracies – should be gradually

enlarged.
o C Rajamohan: Indo-pacific axis, comprising of France-India-Australia. It’s not
about rejecting China’s rise but engaging it in a system of rules and mutual
respect.
 According to Suhasini Haider, Quad will need to be calibrated with concrete outcomes
on India’s concerns with terror from Pakistan, and a free hand to pursue ties with Iran.
 Shyam Saran (“The Quadrilateral: Is it an alliance or an alignment”): Given its history,
India will have to remain watchful, but at the same time not lose an opportunity to
leverage the forum to advance its interests.
 Amb. Prabhu Dayal: We cannot convert Quad into military alliance and we should be
moving forward very adroitly. We should not get drawn into USA’s strategy of making
us collide head on with China
 K.C. Singh: Strategic autonomy, multiple engagements and deft balancing
 Rory Medcalf (“Many belts, many roads at Shangri-La dialogue”): A long game is
unfolding in the region. The Indo-Pacific will be a region of many belts and may roads.
 Good strategy can manage poor tactics, but poor strategy cannot be redeemed - Kissinger

IORA
Established in the 1990s, IORA is a regional forum that has IORA Summit in Jakarta 2017 - Drew attention to a range of
not particularly been significant in shaping the choices of its issues
21 littoral members.
Tripartite membership - Govt, industry, academia come  Econ
together with Open regionalism o Trade and investment and economic
Aims cooperation
o Fisheries Mgt - IUU fishing
 S Development o Blue Economy
 Enhance economic association  Security
 Mutually beneficial cooperation through consensus o Maritime security
based non-intrusive approach o Drug and Human Trafficking
o Terrorism
Result o Piracy
 Others
 No binding agreements o Disaster Risk Mgt
 Min Institutionalization o P2P exchanges

India has taken the initiative of revitalising IORA.

PM - given the vision of SAGAR - Security and Growth of all in the region 
Final declaration - Jakarta Concorde - revitalising IORA and recognising India’s role 

Indian Diaspora 

Evolution of Indian policy

 India was initially sensitive to the view that championing the cause of overseas Indians
might offend the host countries, who should be fully responsible for their welfare and
security
 Rajiv Gandhi was the first Prime Minister who changed the diaspora policy by inviting
Indians abroad, regardless of their nationality, to participate in nation-building. Ex. Sam
Pitroda
 The outreach to NRIs began institutionally through Pravasi Bhartiya Divas during the
time of Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
 According to C. Rajamohan, Modi has made it a key area of national priority. For Modi,
the diaspora is an ‘asset’ rather than a ‘liability’
o 3 Cs: Connect with India; celebrate their heritage; contribute to development of
homeland
 31 million strong Diaspora over 100 countries- Indian  Issues
diaspora have been found to be world’s largest as per o Volatility in West Asia
World Migration Report 2018. o Labour rights in West Asia
 How India See the world: Throughout history, India was o Visa issues
a remarkably cosmopolitan place with diverse ethnicities. o Domestic concerns that public money is
Maybe this is Indian diaspora’s secret of success. spent on NRIs who left India
 Contributing significantly o People leaving to join ISIS.
o Investment o India does not have evacuation policy and
o Transfer of tech ad-hoc measures are undertaken.
o Foreign trade o T.P Srineevasan: Merger of Ministry of
o Remittances - 5 lakh cr Overseas Indian Affairs with the Ministry
o Act as Informal Ambassadors- Help cultivate soft of External Affairs;
power o irregularity of diaspora conferences
o Soft Diplomacy - lobbies for Indian interests  What should be done - CRM
 USA - Indian community lobbying o More of
o Kargil war support  New York - Madison Square
o Nuclear tests support  London- Wembley Stadium
o Civil Nuclear deal o Encouraging back into India - significant
 Kanwal Sibal - core Foreign policy objectives skill sets and tech knowledge
 Govt steps  Identify sectors of impact
o Emigration Bill 2019  Identify individuals
o Indian Community Welfare Fund  Identify technologies.
o Online platform- MADAD o Encouraging to invest in social sector -
o Pravasi Bharatiya divas rural sanitation, health initiatives, edu - by
o PB Samman Awards easing the rules and increasing efficiency
o Know India Program o Rescue efforts - SM, Rahat - sense of
o Study India Program entitlement in diaspora
o OCI scheme o Sreeram Chaulia: We will need to do
o Skill Banks more to ease entry of foreign funds into
o Sreeram Chaulia: MoOI had become office of the country through NRI routes
patronage for politicians. Now it has been done o Try to organize the fragmented Indian
away with population in one country into one
o Embassies are now much more sensitive to needs powerful lobby
of Indian diaspora.

Conclusion: While we need a coherent policy to engage our diaspora, it needs to be inclusive of
elite sections of USA and Europe, working class from Middle-East, farming community from
Africa etc.

India and World Economy

 The centre of global geo-economics is shifting to Asia from trans-Atlantic region.
 Amb. Jayant Dasgupta: India’s economic profile may be increasing with growth, investment and
structural reforms; but still it has no impact on global trade (1.2% of total trade)
 Arvind Virmani: India is second after China in contribution to global GDP growth and thus its
impact on world economy is certainly increasing.
 Geopolitically, India is more internationally engaged but less so
geoeconomically. Its narrow focus is on the World Bank, IMF, WTO and
foreign investment issues. But India has much to contribute on issues
 like reconfiguration of global financial regulations, design of a new
framework for trade in services and the digital economy and
establishing better cross-border standards for transparency in financial
flows. To make its G20 year a success, India has to address
organisational challenges, where the country has an infrastructure,
management and intellectual gap.

Space diplomacy
Jan 2019, page 19