Indian Foreign Policy

Foreign policy

A country's foreign policy is the set of principles, interests, and goals that it promotes in its
interactions with other countries. he objectives and activities of a state's foreign policy or
external policy (as opposed to its internal or domestic policy) in relation to its interactions
with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterally or through
multilateral platforms. It states that "domestic considerations, the policies or behavior of
other states, or plans to advance specific geopolitical designs" can all influence a
government's foreign policy
.
Indian Foreign Policy: Main Objectives

 To safeguard India against both traditional and non-traditional threats.

Features of Indian Foreign policy

1) Panchaseel
 Nehru was a firm believer in international peace. He recognised the link between
India's peace and the world's development and survival.
 He had witnessed the devastation caused by the two world wars and realised that a
long period of peace was required for a nation's progress.
 While signing an agreement with China on April 28, 1954, India advocated adherence
to five guiding principles known as Panchsheel for the conduct of bilateral
relations, as it desired peaceful and friendly relations with all countries, particularly
the great powers and neighbouring nations.
 It contains the following:
o Mutual respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty.
o Mutual non-aggression.
o Mutual non-interference.
o Equality and mutual benefit.
o Peaceful coexistence.
2) Non Aligned
 The most essential element of India's foreign policy has been non-alignment.
 Non-alignment intended to maintain national independence in foreign affairs by
refusing to join any military alliance formed by the United States and the Soviet Union
after WWII.
 Non-alignment has nothing to do with neutrality, non-involvement, or isolationism.
 It was a fluid idea that meant not committing to any military alliance and instead of
taking an independent stance on foreign affairs based on the facts of the situation.
3) Anti Imperialism, Anti Racism and Anti Colonialism
 India has always been a staunch opponent of colonialism and racism. Whenever there
was an injustice, India spoke up, for example, in 1947, in support of Indonesian
identity in the face of Dutch colonialism.
  India showed its opposition to South Africa's unlawful occupation of Namibia and the
infamous apartheid policy in South Africa.
 India was a strong supporter of communist China's admission to the United Nations.
4) Strengthening of UN
 India has long considered the United Nations as a vehicle for world peace and peaceful
transformation.
 Apart from that, India has always expected the UN to actively engage countries in
talks or negotiations to help them resolve their problems.
 India has also urged for the UN to play a more active role in the development of Third
World countries.
 In the United Nations, India has pleaded for a united front of third-world countries.
5) Indian Diaspora
The Indian diaspora is gaining clout in foreign nations, allowing them to gain access to
powerful political figures in the host country.
6) Effective Multilateralism
 It recognises the reality of many nations' emergence and understands that the global
agenda should be shaped by the voices of many, not the ideas of a few.
 This also works against any power's hegemony. India began to cultivate connections
with those countries that were receiving less attention, primarily owing to policy
gridlock, based on this approach.
 India is part of the QUAD with the USA, Australia, and Japan and also being part of
institutions like Russia, India and China (RIC) and BRICS. It also has good relations
to meet its energy demand and connect to the INSTC through central Asia.
7) India opposes the export of ideologies and regime change.
 India believes in democracy and supports it; nonetheless, it opposes the export of
ideologies. As a result, India has attempted to deal with the current administration,
whether it is a democracy, monarchy, or military dictatorship.
 India believes that the people of the country should have the power to choose or
remove their leaders, as well as to keep or change the type of government.
8) Unilateral Sanctions/Military Actions Are Not Endorsed By India
 India opposes the imposition of sanctions or military action against a single country or
a group of countries unless these sanctions or military activities have been approved by
the United Nations as a result of an international agreement.
 As a result, India only participates in peacekeeping military operations that are part of
the UN Peacekeeping Forces.
9) India doesn’t interfere but intervenes when necessary
 India does not believe in interfering in other countries' domestic issues.
 However, if an act - innocent or malicious - by any country has the possibility of
impinging upon India’s national interests, India does not hesitate in prompt and timely
involvement.
 Keep in mind that intervention differs from interference in terms of quality, especially
when the intervention is conducted at the request of the country in question.
Issues Indian Foreign Policy
1) Conventional Security
Pakistan has long been regarded as India's primary conventional threat, as evidenced
by the military standoff in late 2001 and early 2002.
At the same time, India was defeated by China in a war in 1962. China is also India's
closest military rival, as evidenced by India's declaration that its 1998 nuclear tests
were in response to the China threat.
 2) Economic Growth
 From the "Look East" policy of the early 1990s to today's increased engagement with
ASEAN, BIMSTEC, and the new SAFTA agreement, India's growth has been
supported by exchange with its neighbors.
o At the same time that it pursues regional agreements, India engages bilaterally
(with free trade agreements with Singapore and a possible bilateral investment
treaty with the United States) and globally, taking the lead in the WTO Doha
negotiations.
 China's growth has aided India's, which has averaged annual growth rates of more than
10% since 2000. However, as India enters China's traditional manufacturing
stronghold and China focuses on the services market, the two countries will compete
more intensely.
3) Energy Security
 While India believes that it should be allowed to increase its energy consumption and
emissions until its per capita levels match those of Western countries, polls show that
the Indian public is increasingly recognising the importance of paying more attention
to environmental concerns.
 India will continue to focus on the Middle East, particularly Iran, in order to ensure
access to energy resources (including the Iran-Pakistan-India oil pipeline).
 Simultaneously, India is broadening its search for energy resources into Africa and
Latin America (though India typically loses bids to China).
4) Nuclear Capability and Nonproliferation
 India's nuclear policy is shaped by its volatile relations with Pakistan and China, as
well as the region's recent escalation of nuclear proliferation. Its goal is to create a
"credible minimum deterrence" by combining land, air, and sea-based capabilities.
5) Strategic Stature and Leadership
 By purchasing power parity, India's economy ranks fourth in the world. India's soft
power remains strong, and its military, economic, and diplomatic clout is expanding.
 India is a democratic multi-ethnic and multi-religious country. While already a
developing-world leader, India now seeks to gain access to the developed world.
 Given the insecurity in South Asia, there are numerous opportunities for India to focus
on assisting in the resolution of conflicts in neighbouring Nepal, Sri Lanka, and
Bangladesh.

Conclusion
Foreign policy can only go so far and diplomacy can be that effective, to the extent of a
country’s political, social and economic health. For the last three decades, India has been
fortunate to experience rapid growth and prosperity. This has given India more clout in
foreign policy and allowed far more resources to be allocated for diplomacy, including
consolidating and strengthening our diplomatic presence around the world. Under the current
regime, India has clearly demonstrated its desire to play a leading role in the global arena and
be regarded as a "pole" in its own right. Continued domestic stability and prosperity, as well
as political agreement on broad foreign policy parameters, will help India achieve this goal.