India’s Policy Towards West Asia: The Modi Era

West Asia holds significant relevance for India due to a multitude of economic, political, strategic and security factors. India considers the West Asian region as its ‘extended neighbourhood.’ Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014, India’s West Asia policy has received renewed attention, marking a notable transformation in its foreign policy approach towards the countries of the region. In recent years, engagement between India and the West Asian region has moved beyond the traditionally dominant spheres of trade, energy and diaspora ties. India has emphasised cooperation in the fields of defence and security, building strategic partnerships and is exploring new areas of cooperation in sectors such as renewable energy, health, climate change, food security, connectivity and so on. Prime Minister Modi’s ‘Think West’ policy has further prioritised engagement with the West Asian countries.
This book provides scholarly perspectives on Modi’s policy and approach towards the West Asian region. The authors reflect on different dimensions of the India–West Asia relationship, examine the key changes in India’s approach under the Modi government and explore the opportunities and prospects of cooperation in the new and emerging fields. The authors aver that Prime Minister Modi’s continuous engagement with the regional leaders at bilateral and multilateral levels, the convergence of interests between India and the West Asian countries, India’s increasing stakes in the region and a changing perception of India in the minds of regional leaders are some of the key drivers of the fast-growing India–West Asia relationship.

About the Editors

Amb. Sujan Chinoy is the Director General of the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), New Delhi since 2019. A career diplomat from 1981-2018, he held several important diplomatic assignments, including as Ambassador to Japan and Mexico. A specialist on China, East Asia and politico-security issues, he anchored negotiations and developed confidence-building measures (CBMs) with China on the boundary issue from 1996-2000. On deputation to the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) from 2008-2012, his expertise covered external and internal security issues, particularly South Asia and the extended neighbourhood of the Indo-Pacific. Among his diverse foreign postings, he also served as Counsellor (Political) in the Embassy in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He is the Chair of the Think20 engagement group for India`s G20 Presidency and a Member of the high-powered DRDO Review Committee.

Dr. Prasanta Kumar Pradhan is a Research Fellow and Coordinator of the West Asia Centre at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), New Delhi. He holds a doctorate degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Since joining MP-IDSA in 2008, he has been researching on foreign policy, security and strategic issues in West Asia, and India`s relationship with West Asia and the wider Arab world. Dr. Pradhan is the author of India and the Arab Unrest: Challenges, Dilemmas and Engagements (Routledge, London 2022), Arab Spring and Sectarian Faultlines in West Asia: Bahrain, Yemen and Syria (Pentagon Press, New Delhi, 2017) and the monograph India`s Relationship with the Gulf Cooperation Council: Need to Look beyond Business (MP-IDSA, New Delhi, 2014). He is also the editor of the book Geopolitical Shifts in West Asia: Trends and Implications (Pentagon Press, New Delhi, 2016).