In 2014, soon after he assumed office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that his government would focus on a “Neighborhood First” policy. He sought to normalize relations with Pakistan, reach a modus vivendi with China, and invest in relationships with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal to realize the untapped potential of these ties. A decade later, a new government will come to power in a starkly different geopolitical environment. India and China have been locked in a border standoff since 2020, ties with Pakistan are on ice since the Pulwama-Balakot crisis of 2019, and economic turmoil or domestic politics have altered New Delhi’s equations with other neighbors.
In this panel discussion, three experts on Indian foreign policy will assess what the new Indian government’s regional foreign policy agenda may be. Panelists will examine the potential for a thaw in India-Pakistan relations, the evolving reorientation of India’s strategic focus to China, and its goals for the South Asian region writ large as it seeks to bolster its credentials as a net security provider and economic partner of choice. They will also reflect on the implications of New Delhi’s regional outreach for its ties with the United States.
Featured Speakers
Amb. Ajay Bisaria, Former Indian Envoy to Pakistan
Sohini Bose, Observer Research Foundation
Jabin Jacob, Shiv Nadar University
Moderator
Akriti Vasudeva Kalyankar, Fellow, South Asia Program, Stimson Center
