CONTEMPORARY I N D I A

GS F332
 INDIA'S FOREIGN POLICY
W H AT W E W I L L S T U D Y I N T H I S M O D U L E

• Conceptualization of Foreign Policy

• Importance of Foreign Policy
• Determinants and Principles of Indian Foreign Policy
• Role of Non-Alignment
• India’s Relations with the G C C States
• New Orientations at the End of the Cold War
 FOREIGN POLICY: A N OVERVIEW

• No country today can think of a life independent of other nations. Every country has
to develop relations with other countries to meet its requirements in politically,
economically, culturally and geographically.
• It is a combination of rules, regulations, and principles through which an independent
country establishes relationship with other countries
• The principles of foreign policies are not perpetual but some of them holds prime
importance
• In international relations there is no enduring animosity or friendship but the
national interest
• Foreign policy not only affects neighboring countries but also neighboring countries
accept its affect
 F O R E I G N POLICY: C O N T E X T U A L I Z A T I O N

• What do you mean by Foreign Policy?

• According to George Modelski defines it as “the system of activities evolved by communities for
changing the behaviour of other states and for adjusting their own activities to the international
environment.
• According to Joseph Frankel “foreign policy consists of decisions and actions, which involves to
some appreciable extent relations between onestate and others.
• According to Lincoln “A State’s Foreign Policy is totality of its dealings with the external
environment. Foreign Policy is the overall result of the process by which a state translates its broadly
conceived goals and interests into specific courses of action in order to achieve its objectives and
preserve its interests.
• According to Gibson “Foreign policy is a well-rounded comprehensive plan based on knowledge
and experience for conducting the business of government with rest of the world. It is aim at
promoting and protecting the interests of the nations.
 IMPORTANCE OF FOREIGN POLICY

• Safeguarding and protect the territorial integrity of the country and protect
the interest of the citizens both with and outside of the country

• Maintain the relationship between one country with others and adopt the
policy of conflict and cooperation towards them

• The foreign policy of a country seeks to promote and further its national
interest of the country

• Through which a country can become friends from one country and vice
versa by dealing with diplomatically to attain states protection
 Objectives of Indian Foreign Policy
1. The preservation of India’s territorial integrity and independence of foreign policy:

 The territorial integrity and protection of national boundaries from foreign aggression is the core interest of a
nation.
 To protect India from traditional and non-traditional threats;
 To create an external environment that is conducive for inclusive development of India so that the benefits of
growth can reach the poorest of the poor in the country;
 To make sure that India’s opinions are heard on global platforms and that India is able to influence world
opinion on issues of global dimensions such as terrorism, climate change, disarmament, reforms of
institutions of global governance;
 To engage and protect the Indian Diaspora.

2.Promoting international peace and security

 India as a ‘newly independent and developing country rightly realized that international peace and
development are correlated.
 Her emphasis on disarmament and the policy of keeping away from military alliances is intended to promote
global peace.
 Objectives of Indian Foreign Policy
The economic development of India:

 The fast development of the country was the fundamental requirement of India at the time of independence.
 It was also required to strengthen democracy and freedom in the country
 In order to gain financial resources and technology from both blocks and to concentrate her energy on the
development, India opted away from the power bloc politics, which was the defining feature of Cold War
international politics.
 The foreign policy practice of India also reveals its two other objectives:
 Elimination of colonialism and racial discrimination
 Protection of the interests of people of Indian origin abroad.
 An official statement of the Ministry of External Affairs (2010) notes that India’s foreign policy seeks to
safeguard her enlightened self-interest.
 Its primary objective is to promote and maintain a peaceful and stable external environment in which the
domestic tasks of inclusive economic development and poverty alleviation can progress rapidly.
 Moral Aspects of India’s Foreign Policy
1. Panchsheel Principles
These Five Principles are:
 Mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty
 Mutual non-aggression
 Mutual non-interference
 Equality and mutual benefit
 Peaceful co-existence

2. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (The World is One Family): It is based on the concept of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,
Sabka Vishwas.
In other words, India views the entire world community as a single large global family, where members live in
harmony, work and grow together, and have trust in one another.

3. Proactive and Impartial Assistance: India does not hesitate in promoting democracy wherever potential exists.
This is done by proactively providing assistance in capacity building and strengthening the institutions of
democracy, albeit with the explicit consent of the concerned Government. (Ex. Afghanistan).
4. Global Problem Solving Approach: India advocates a global debate and global consensus on issues of global
dimensions such as world trade regime, climate change, terrorism, intellectual property rights, global governance,
health hazards.
Under the Vaccine diplomacy initiative, India exported 60 million doses, half on commercial terms and 10
million as grants.
DETERMINANTS & PRINCIPLES OF
I N D I A N FOREIGN POLICY
 Factors influences Foreign Policy

Two types of factors

1. Internal factors

2. External Factors
 Internal Factors influences Foreign Policy
Economic
Size and
Internal factors Culture & History Development and
Geography
Natural Resources

Science and Military Press and Public

Political System
Technology Capability Opinion

Leadership
External Factors influences Foreign Policy

International International Reaction of

Law Organization other states

World
Alliances
opinion
 DETERMINANTS OF I N D I A N PRINCIPLES OF I N D I A N FOREIGN
FOREIGN POLICY POLICY

History and • Anti-racism and imperialism in all forms

Culture

Size & • Asianism and security of South Asia and

Geography the Indian Ocean region

• C oncerns of developing countries

Economy and
(WTO)
Technology
Development • Trade relations with countries that India
depends on for its essential imports
Exporter Trade (US$ Mil) Partner share(%)
INDIA’S M A I N
China 71,923 16.20
United States 24,086 5.42
TRADING
United Arab 23,115 5.21 PARTNERS
Emirates
Saudi Arabia 21,087 4.75
Switzerland 20,405 4.60

Market Trade (US$ Mil) Partner share(%)

United States 46,018 15.63
United Arab 28,636 9.73
Emirates
Hong Kong, 15,021 5.10
China
China 12,495 4.24
Singapore 11,560 3.93

Source:World Bank, 2017 https://wits.worldbank.org/CountrySnapshot/en/IND

 DETERMINANTS OF I N D I A N PRINCIPLES OF I N D I A N FOREIGN
FOREIGN POLICY POLICY
• Threat from Pakistan and China
• Security concerns
• Internal conflicts in Sri Lanka, Nepal,
Bangladesh and Myanmar
• Defense relations
• Nuclear power: no first use andmaintaining a
credible minimum deterrence

• International environment
• Cold War: Non-alignment
• Post Cold War: Independence and
pragmatism

• Global challenges and • Faith in the UN and other international

institutions institutional frameworks to resolve conflict
(ICJ, BRICS, SAARC etc)
• Climate change: state sovereignty but also
responsibility
 DETERMINANTS OF I N D I A N PRINCIPLES OF I N D I A N FOREIGN
FOREIGN POLICY POLICY

Direction and personality of the Prime Minister Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru
• Non Alignment
• Panscheel

Prime Minister Narsimha Rao

• Look East Policy

Prime Minister IK Gujral

• Gujral Doctrine

Prime Minister Modi

• Act East Policy
NON-ALIGNMENT
 W H Y THE N O N - A L I G N E D M O V E M E N T
EMERG ED

• The Cold War and polarized world between USA and

USSR
• Newly independent countries that were just recovering from
long years of colonial subjugation
• The dire developmental concerns of the newly independent
countries that didn’t want to get embroiled in the conflicts of the
world
 BRIEF HISTORY OF THE N O N - A L I G N E D
MOVEMENT (NAM)

• The Non Aligned Movement can be traced back to 1961 in Belgrade

(Yugoslavia) during the ColdWar
• It was a gathering of developing countries, most of whom who had just gained
independence and wanted to stay away from Cold War bloc politics.
• Its founding fathers were India’s Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru,Yugoslavia’s
Josip Broz Tito and Egypt’s President Gamal AbdelNasser
 NON-ALIGNMENT

T H EN N OW

Today, NAM has 120 member states (most of Africa, the Middle East and South and Southeast
Asia) and 17 observer states (China, and most of CentralAsia and LatinAmerica)
 PRINCIPLES OF N O N - A L I G N M E N T

In the words of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at the 7th NAM Summit in New Delhi inMarch
1983, NAM was…
The NAM website lists about 35 principles that the movement stands for; some of the salient
principles are:
1. Recognition of equality among all races and nations
2. Non-intervention and respect for the sovereignty of each nation
3. Non use of defense pacts that would benefit one of the two superpowers
4. Reaffirmation of the right to self-determination of people under foreign occupation or rule
5. Opposition to terrorism, condemnation of genocide, war crimes and crimes againsthumanity
 ACHIEVEMENTS OF N O N - A L I G N M E N T

 The most important achievement of NAM movement was that it initiated an active international struggle for
global peace at height of cold war and militarism.

 It played significant role in prevention of some of the regional conflicts and also made efforts towards end of cold
war.

 One of the most outstanding contributions of the NAM was its consistent support for strengthening the United
Nations Organisation.

 On the basis of their numerical strength, the non-aligned countries exercised a considerable influence on the
decisions of the General Assembly.

 These countries have supported UN in all of its peace-keeping efforts in different parts of the world.

 Since NAM had greater acceptance among the newly emerging independent nations, it prevented bipolarisation of
world to great extent.
 DEBATES ON INDIA’S POLICY OF
NON-ALIGNMENT
 Was/is NAM a moral/idealistic response or pragmatic and
realistic?

 Was/is NAM about independence vis-à-vis dependence?

 Was/is NAM about staying aloof from world politics or

about exerting influence?

 Is NAM relevant in the post-Cold War era?

I N D I A A N D G C C STATES
 INDIA A N D GCC RELATIONS

 The relation between the Gulf and India stretch back several millennia.
These ties continued to strengthen prior to independence under the British Empire, when the
Gulf countries were administered through India and even used Indian rupees and stamps.
Until the last decade or so, the relationship was still being driven almost exclusively by
economic interests—energy trade and migrant labor.
The emergence of several factors is forcing New Delhi to consider the strategic aspects of those ties.
First, Delhi’s increased political and economic interest in rising to the top of the global
hierarchy has increased the strategic dimension of its dependence on Gulf energy.
India is already increasingly energy-thirsty, and in 2020 over half of India’s oil and gas imports came
from GCC countries.
 INDIA-GCC Political Relationship: BOUND BY HISTORY
Following independence, from 1947 to 1986, India took an ideological approach to the Middle East and GCC
underpinned by anti-colonialism and its central role in the Non-Aligned Movement.
While India did not vote on the partitioning of Palestine, it opposed the admission of Israel to the
United Nations.
India also aligned with the Soviet Union over its 1980s intervention inAfghanistan, which the GCC states
opposed.
 Many Arab countries also supported Pakistan in the dispute over Kashmir.

 Overall, India-GCC relations remained largely stagnant for the duration of the U.S.-Soviet Cold War.
After the Cold War, despite increasing bilateral trade in energy and labor, India still has not viewed
the GCC through a strategic lens.
This absence of a strategic focus has been due to a combination of issues. India as lacking an overarching
foreign policy strategy, domestic factor relating to Hindu-Muslim relations and communal politics
 INDIA-GCC Political Relationship: BOUND BY HISTORY
New Delhi sees the Gulf and South Asia as strategically interactive and interrelated regions, and it has
increased its focus on the Gulf accordingly, especially since 2000

In 2003, the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) administration launched “a 20- year programme to
become a world power whose influence is felt across the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Gulf, and all of Asia.

India’s naval policies and behavior during the first decade of the 2000s reflected these positions. The 2009
maritime doctrine, issued when the Indian National Congress was in power, labeled the Gulf, the Arabian
Sea, and the states bordering them as vital to India’s strategic interests.

Most recently, India and Saudi Arabia agreed to enhance cooperation to strengthen maritime security
during Modi’s 2016 visit

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) States, invited India to participate in the meeting as a “Guest
of Honour” in 2019 as major diplomatic victory for India and Gulf States relationship.
 GCC A N D INDIA’S ECONOMIC RELATION
The GCC countries have also grown to collectively become India’s largest
trade partner.
 Today the GCC supplies 60 per cent of India’s total oil imports.
Trade with the GCC countries totaled $184.7bn in 2021-22, up substantially Trade
from the $5.5bn seen in 2001, according to International Centre
calculations.
The volume of energy-dominated trade is set to increase further, as GCC
exports to India have grown at an annual rate of 43 percent over the last
decade—faster than with any of the GCC’s other trading partners.
 G C C A N D INDIA’SECONOMIC RELATIONS

Clearly, India’s energy security is premised on a good political relationship with the
GCC.
All this provides further impetus to policymakers to view GCC relations
through a strategic, rather than a purely commercial, prism.
 As a result, the geopolitics of energy are now firmly “part of daily business in India”
During the prime minister’s April 2016 visit to Saudi Arabia, the countries
agreed to “transform” the "buyer-seller relationship" into a deeper partnership.
Major focuses on investments and joint ventures in petrochemical complexes, research
and development, and exploration in India, Saudi Arabia, and other countries.
 TOTAL VALUE OF INDIA'S TRADE RELATIONSHIPS 2001-2020

$180
GCC

$160 China USA

UAE KSA
$140
Qatar

$120
Kuwait

$100

$80

$60

$40

$20

$0
 GCC-INDIA RELATIONS
 India and the United Arab Emirates have signed Currency Swap agreement.
 Currency Swap is such a pact between two countries that allows trading in their
own currency and payments to import and export trade at pre-
determined exchangerate without bringingin a third benchmark currency
like the US dollars.
There are 1,076 weekly flights that operate between India and the
UAE currently which is a major boost for boththe governments

 Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman visit has also helped
expand the Saudi-India trade and investment portfolioand Riyadh sees
the potential for a $100 billion investment in energy, agriculture, technology,
culture and social services.

The increase in India’s Haj pilgrims quota to 200,000 a year, from the existing
175,000, and the release of 850 Indian prisoners from Saudi jails are examples
of mutual socio-cultural warmth.

Construction of Hindu Temple and Invitation to India to attend Organization of

Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting shows India’s new relations with GCC States
 CULTURAL RELATIONSHIP WITH INDIAN SOFT
POWER
India’s image in the region is shaped by culture to a greater degree than other powers,
this is partly due to identity and shared cultural history between South Asia and the
Middle East, including both the Arab world and Iran.
GCC states are well aware of India’s Islamic heritage under the Mughals and current
status as home to one of the world’s largest Muslim populations.
GCC States admires India’s pluralism,” adding that India’s Muslims are seen to
receive fair treatment
The values of tolerance, pluralism, and non-violence influence India’s foreign policy
to a significant degree.
Indeed, GCC states see India as supporting sovereignty, stability, territorial integrity,
and non-interference
 GCC-INDIA RELATIONS:ROLE OF INDIANDIASPORA
The oil boom marked the start of a major movement of Indian workers to the
Gulf with annual migration to the UAE increasing from 4,600 in 1975 to
125,000 by 1985 and nearly 200,000 by 1999.
There are today close to 9 million people of Indian origin in the GCC with the
UAE and Saudi Arabia alone hosting three million each.
Indian expatriates in the GCC now consist of successful businessmen, eminent
academics, influential professionals, and so on.
This diaspora has become an essential part of the Gulf and Indian economies
as shown in several economic indicators.
Indians were the largest foreign investors in Dubai property last year at Dhs12bn
($3.26bn) and the Gulf diaspora is estimated to account for more than half of
remittance income to India annually.
 Figure 1: Stock of Migrant Population from India to the GCC States from 1990-2019 (In thousands)

Source: Migrant Stock Data of Population Division, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs,
2020.
 I N D I A N CITIZENS IN UAE STATE

Nationality 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020

India 915,848 1,286,993 2,913,802 3,184,017 3,310,419

Pakistan 305,782 383,811 836,310 913,866 950,145

Sri Lanka 45,240 49,194 101,145 110,524 114,911

Bangladesh 297,610 408,976 919,365 1,004,623 1,044,505

Nepal 2832 8818 23,410 25,580 26,595

Afghanistan 2668 3208 6878 7515 7813

 Table 1: Remittance inflows to South Asian countries from GCC States and World in 2021
Remittances Receiving Remittances Remittances from Remittances from Share of GDP
Countries from World in GCC Countries in GCC Countries as in 2021 ( per
millions ($) millions ($) per cent of Total cent)

India 89,375 51,908 58.07 2.7

Pakistan 31,312 19,313 61.67 7.9
Bangladesh 22,203 11,606 52.27 4.7
Sri Lanka 5,522 2,546 46.10 5.2
Nepal 8,203 2,996 36.52 21.8
Total Remittances 156,615 88,369 56.42
Source: World Bank Remittances Matrix Data 2022.
 GCC-INDIA RELATIONS:ROLE OF INDIANDIASPORA

Some of the faces behind these numbers can be seen through the dozens of Indian business
success stories in the GCC.
Yusuf Ali M.A. leads one of the world fastest growing retailers, LuLu Group, which had a turnover
of $7.1bn in 2022.
Micky Jagtiana’s Landmark Group has stores in shopping malls across the region and
estimated annual revenue of $6bn
B.R Shetty owns one of the UAE’s largest hospital chains, NMC Health,and is one of the region’s
richest men with an estimated net worth of $3.3bn, according to Forbes.
Sunny Varkey who controls the world’s largest operator of kindergarten to grade 12 schools through
Dubai-based Gems Education, with an estimated net worth of $2.2bn.
One factor driving Indian businesses to seek opportunities in the Gulf has been the proactive focus on
trade, development and harmonization by Indian Prime Minister Modi, who took office in 2014.
 INDIA’SADVANTAGES IN THE GULFSTATES
There are three major areas of advantage that India can utilize in attempting to
forge stronger ties with GCC states.

First, India can tap its significant soft power in the region. The country enjoys a
good image in the eyes of Middle East-GCC governments and peoples, smoothing
the way for stronger relations

Secondly, the size and importance of India’s diaspora in the region gives Delhi significant
leverage.

Finally, India enjoys good relations with the GCC states primary backer, the United States,
Russia and European Countries
 India and GCC States: Promising Future
 There is growing recognition of India’s need to expand its strategic focus on the
Gulf at the bureaucratic level as well.

 “Link West policy will take priority” and “West Asia will not be
underestimated” as per New Delhi.

 Values like pluralism and tolerance will continue to shape India’s foreign
policy.

 The neutral “friend-to-all” approach, he argued, serves India’s core, enduring

interests, and as such, will continue.

 In the meantime, the Indian government’s initiative to involve India’s states in

foreign policymaking will make securing the diaspora’s position in GCC states a
higher priority.

 India will have a greater stake in ensuring that GCC states are secure and
prosperous, while also supporting stability throughout the region to potentially
diversify the destinations of its migrant labor.
 N E W ORIENTATIONS IN INDIA’S
FOREIGN POLICY IN 21 ST CENTURY
INDIA’S RISING P O W E R
 India’s Rising Soft Power & Cultural Diplomacy
 It is internationally recognised that one of India’s significant global contribution’s has been the exercise of
its soft power, drawing on its ancient cultural and civilisational roots.

 “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ was among the first precursors of Global Citizenship as it is understood today
– the concept that all individuals are collectively responsible towards each other and their shared future.

 Today, India’s soft power as represented through her vibrant cultural and civilisational heritage and through
her Diaspora spread worldwide, serves as a powerful reminder that India’s values of secularism, tolerance,
inclusiveness which are an intrinsic part of our civilization.

 The five pillars of this soft power, used in a strategic sense are Samman (dignity), Samvaad (dialouge),
Samriddhi (shared prosperity), Suruksha (regional and global security), and Sanskriti evam
Sabhayata (Cultural and civilizational links).

 Cultural bonding can be one of the ways to prevent conflict and promote peace.

 Some examples are the joint commemoration by India and Bangladesh of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s
150th birth anniversary and Nazrul’s 100th birth anniversary. It is unique that both the Indian and
Bangladeshi national anthem has been composed by Rabindranath Tagore. India has revived the old
Buddhism tourism circuit to link up with Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and other States in our wider
 I N D I A ’ S R I S I N G P O W E R A N D ITS
F O R E I G N P O L I C Y IMPLIC A T I O N S
Assertive,strong,pragmaticand a growing strategic
autonomy in India’s foreignpolicy

Start up culture, Success of Chandryan-III, G-20

Summit

Indigenous Military Equipment Development

Arms trade and military/naval exercises important

components of India’s foreign policy (Russia, USA and Israel
are India’s primary arms trading countries)

Multidirectional foreign policy: friendships with all but

without close entanglements and plausible deniability, Major
Player in UN, BRICS, SAARC, G20, ASEAN, QUAD

Modi:“Those days are gone when India had to beg. Now we want
 I N D I A N FOREIGN POLICY: FUTURE
DIRECTIONS

• Closer strategic and trade relations with America,without building an anti- China
alliance
• Continuing issues with Pakistan and a continuing involvement of China and Pakistan
in the Indo-Pak relationship
• Growing partnerships and alliances with rising middle powers/developing
countries in the world (BRICSAM)
• India’s growing importance in international challenges such as climate change,
terrorism, naval security, safe nuclear policy in the region.
• Projection of India’s soft power, such as International Yoga Day
 READINGS

TEXTBOOK
Rothermund,Dietmar.2013. ‘Chapter 11 – Foreign Policy in a Changing Global Context’,in Contemporary India:Political
Economic and Social developments since 1947. Delhi-Chennai:Pearson.
SUGGESTED READINGS
On Non-alignment
Kennedy,Andrew B.2015.‘Nehru’s Foreign Policy: Realism and Idealism Conjoined’,in David M. Malone et al.(eds). The Oxford
Handbook of Indian Foreign Policy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
On India’s bilateral relations
Bajpai,Kanti.2017.‘Narendra Modi’s Pakistan and China policy:Assertive Bilateral Diplomacy,Active Coalition Diplomacy’,
International Affairs, 93(1): 69-91.
Tellis,Ashley.2015.‘US-India Relations:The Struggle for an Enduring Partnership’,in David M. Malone et al.(eds). The Oxford
Handbook of Indian Foreign Policy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
On future directions in Indian foreign policy
Basrur,Rajesh. 2017.‘Modi’s Foreign Policy Fundamentals:ATrajectory Unchanged’,InternationalAffairs,93(1):7-26.