Act East To Act Indo Pacific

India is known as a leading voice in international affairs. India's economic size, vast and growing market, democratic institutions, access to ocean and foundation of science largely explain why India continues to play an important role in global and regional affairs. India is the only country in Asia having the heft to counterbalance China and thus welcomed by many countries in Asia and the Pacific. India has embarked on a period of radical changes in its foreign and economic policies. Faced with a major slowdown of India's trade with Southeast and East Asia in 2014-15, the government responded by initiating far-reaching Act East Policy (AEP) aimed at greater economic integration with South, Southeast and East Asian nations. Started with a fresh vigour in 2014, AEP has gained a new momentum while acting on the east. The Act 'East' is now getting transformed into Act 'Indo-Pacific'. This book presents short essays written by the author on several key aspects of India's economic relations and the challenges faced by India in the post-AEP period. Ten broad themes are analysed in this book: BBIN, BIMSTEC, SAARC, ASEAN, MGC, Act East - North East, BCIM, BRI, Act Far East and Indo-Pacific. This volume highlights what, in author's best judgement, should be the direction for India's expanding neighbourhood. It is an economist's insight and field experience based analysis that offers guidelines for international cooperation. This volume is an invaluable companion for the policymakers, academia, students of international relations, diplomats and the general readership as well. India's foreign policy started attracting renewed global attention since the beginning of the economic reforms in 1991 which led to the gradual opening of the Indian economy. India's trade has expanded manifold and today contributes over 40 per cent of its GDP, as compared about 3 per cent before. In PPP terms, India is the world's one of the top five largest economies. Clearly, the world expects India to play a larger role, commensurate with its size and growing power. In rising protectionism worldwide, countries, particularly developing and LDCs are looking towards a greater regional cooperation.

Offers fresh insight on issues of common concern, on economic benefits, maritime cooperation and other important topics within the broad framework of Indo-Pacific. These academic reflections provide a better understanding of the region and will help bridge the gaps in India's foreign policy towards the countries of Southeast Asia and South Pacific.

India's Eastward Engagement: From Antiquity to Act East Policy presents India's engagement with its extended eastern neighbours from ancient times to the present. It argues that this engagement has been long rooted in India's geographical location, its civilizational evolution and historical transformations. The book critically examines all the important phases--Nehru and Post-Nehru periods, and Look East and Act East policies. It exposes the widely entertained myths about India's eastward engagement and also underlines the prospective directions in which the Act East Policy may unfold in the years to come.

This book explains why the idea of the Indo-Pacific is so strategically important and concludes with a strategy designed to help the West engage with Chinese power in the region in such a way as to avoid conflict.

This book looks at the emerging power dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region and locates India and its interests within the overarching geostrategic framework. With US and China emerging as leading players within the region, the book analyses the challenges to India’s foreign policy in the face of new alliances, counter-alliances, and great power equations that have formed after the Cold War. It discusses important issues such as China’s strategic forays in the Indian Ocean, the balance of power between countries, India’s Act East opportunities, Russia’s re-engagement in the region, the South China Sea dispute, India’s maritime strategy, and the conundrum of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue facing India. A comprehensive study of the changing geopolitical and geostrategic environment of the Indo-Pacific region, the book will be an essential read for scholars and researchers of international relations, global politics, foreign policy, maritime studies, Chinese studies, South Asian studies, geopolitics, and strategic studies.

This book delves into the examination of bilateral relations between India and Vietnam in the 21st century and how the Indo-Pacific as a geo-political construct lends itself to the improvement of their engagement. With the rise and increasing assertiveness of China, the slow growth of the United States, the resurgence of Japan, and the oscillating role of ASEAN as a multilateral organization, the Indo-Pacific has emerged as a theatre of international geostrategic competition. This book studies these changing geopolitical realities and new evolving strategic configurations, while addressing political, economic, defence, and strategic aspects of the relationship along with the role of China and the US in facilitating ties. India’s Act East Policy that was upgraded from the Look East Policy – one of the main drivers for India’s increasing presence in the Asia-Pacific region – is also examined in this volume. An important intervention in the study of international relations, this book will be indispensable to students and researchers of maritime studies, security studies, politics and international relations, geopolitics, and Asian studies.

India's 'Act East Policy' has been a significant reorientation in foreign policy towards realizing India's big power ambitions. During the initial years, the focus of the policy was on economic and diplomatic connectivity that cantered around the ASEAN. Since then, the policy has evolved to assume greater strategic dimensions with co-operation in security matters and incremental engagement with countries and regions beyond the ASEAN that include East Asia and the whole of Asia-Pacific. India's plans to become a global power depend to a great extent on its becoming a dominant economic actor, political and strategic player and soft power attraction in East Asia and Asia-Pacific. This region is the most vibrant economic arena and crucial strategic site in international politics presently. The changing geopolitical and strategic realities increasingly necessitate a new regional security architecture in the region. Along with its efforts towards economic integration and diplomatic connectivity, India needs to carve out a role in shaping the security structure of the region to deal with issues of maritime disputes and security. This book is a collection of 7 scholarly papers that d