Modi 3.0: India and the world

There are positive spinoffs of multi-sectoral cooperation, especially in high and critical technology, innovation bridges, building resilient value and supply chains, financial cooperation, youth mobility, diaspora engagement, etc. It builds a future-oriented partnership based on shared democratic values and a desire for security and prosperity for citizens. The US sometimes tends to consider friendly democracies as allies, rather than partners, in its fight against authoritarian regimes. India’s wariness on that score has been justified, even while she pursues the logic of the Indo-Pacific and collaboration in the Quad. The quest for freedom, transparency, and a rules-based order is shared by our partners in East Asia, Oceania, and the EU and is gaining new partners. The partnership with Russia, embedded in historical contacts, needs further nourishment to realise its fullest potential.

Engaging Middle Powers

Perhaps the greatest potential will be in strengthening relations with middle and emerging powers, many of which are rooted in positive experiences of civilisational contacts and can be the fulcrum of our development thrust. The Act East will be revitalised with a focus on economic engagement, supply chains, and strategic cooperation; the fast-changing Arab world will be key to energy cooperation, food exports, and skill development and offer strategic opportunities; relations in Africa have moved beyond capacity building to broader cooperation. Overall, the endeavour is to meet the challenges of climate change, sustainable development, and the fight against terrorism. The emergence of the Global South has been another significant step and India's efforts in bringing its concerns to the global table have raised expectations. India is uniquely placed as a friendly country with wide acceptance to be an impartial party seeking solutions to regional issues.

Neighbourhood First

Our ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy will see robust attention as the situation has grown more challenging. The anticipated presence of many leaders from our region at the swearing-in ceremony of the new government attests to this priority. The neighbourhood has seen growth in external influences not only in the development and business space but also in the political sphere. Elite capture and debt-traps have led to polarisation in society and diluted autonomy in decision making and even anti-India sentiments have been cultivated. Policies of unilateral concessions, improved connectivity, economic cooperation, better implementation of projects, and people-to-people contacts can bridge the current bias and foster harmonious relations for peace, prosperity, and stability in the region.

Multipolarity and plurilateralism

India’s push for reforms in the multilateral system and its institutions will continue. The United Nations and institutions such as the World Bank, IMF, and WTO cannot make decisions as they represent a bygone era. They can be revived only when the realities of the multipolar world and aspirations of emerging economies are represented. New interest groups such as Global South will add their voice to existing voices for reform. In the interim, plurilateral and regional groupings will assume prominence. India will play a leading role in the G-20, BRICS, SCO, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, IORA, and many other forums.

The essence of diplomacy is to build communities overseas that facilitate the promotion of national interest. India seeks to fashion her future based on dividends accruing from democracy, development, demography, and knowledge, and the foreign policy of the NDA government in its third term is expected to be aligned with this priority.

(The writer is a former Ambassador and Secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs)