India’s Neighbourhood Policy During 2014– 2019: Political Context and Policy Outcomes

Abstract

After Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of India in 2014, New Delhi has been striving hard to achieve for India the great power status by consolidating its dominant position in South Asia and expanding its reach in the Indian Ocean. There have been many successes when it comes to foreign policy in general. However, five years after Modi began his term by inviting leaders of all SAARC countries to his swearing-in ceremony, the expectations aroused by his government’s neighbourhood policy and the energy invested in driving it seem to have faded, leading to a shift in focus on BIMSTEC. This article looks at India’s bilateral relations with India’s neighbours and argues that the major challenges come from insufficient perception management, lack of regional connectivity, gaps in project implementation, and external environment created by China’s unprecedented foray into each of India’s neighbours. The policy planners and decision-makers need to do serious policy homework to improve the outcomes.