Namrata Goswami’s Article on India’s Look East Policy Published in Times of India

Research Fellow, IDSA, Dr Namrata Goswami’s article on India’s Look East Policy, titled ‘Look east for new friends’ was published in the Op-ed Section of Times of India on December 9, 2012.

Excerpt

What is in India's grand strategic interest today as it embarks upon the path of economic development and increasing political influence in the international arena? More than anything else, it is to sustain an internal economic growth that can offer its citizens a level-playing field in the decades to come.

This is indeed critical for India's long-term internal stability and external influence. Why so? The answer is not hard to find. India ranks 134th out of 187 countries in human development according to the UN Human Development Index 2011. Of its 1.21 billion people, over 360 million (a population size more than the US) live in poverty. India's per capita GDP is $1, 600 and will require a 9% GDP growth rate to reach $8, 000 -$10, 000 by 2025. India could well be on a high-growth path as is evidenced by its economic performance in recent years. In mid-2012, India surpassed Japan to become the third largest economy after the US and China in GDP (purchasing power parity).

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