Theorizing Indian Foreign Policy

Examined from a non-Western lens, the standard International Relations (IR) and Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA) approaches are ill-adapted because of some Eurocentric and conceptual biases. These biases partly stem from: first, the dearth of analyses focusing on non-Western cases; second, the primacy of Western-born concepts and method in the two disciplines. That is what this book seeks to redress. Theorizing Indian Foreign Policy draws together the study of contemporary Indian foreign policy and the methods and theories used by FPA and IR, while simultaneously contributing to a growing reflection on how to theorise a non-Western case. Its chapters offer a refreshing perspective by combining different sets of theories, empirical analyses, historical perspectives and insights from area studies. Empirically, chapters deal with different issues as well as varied bilateral relations and institutional settings. Conceptually, however, they ask similar questions about what is unique about Indian foreign policy and how to study it. The chapters also compel us to reconsider the meaning and boundary conditions of concepts (e.g. coalition government, strategic culture and sovereignty) in a non-Western context. This book will appeal to both specialists and students of Indian foreign policy and International Relations Theory.

This Reader Is A Collection Of First-Rate Theoretical Engagements Relating To International Relations From Across India. The Class Character Of Contemporary International Law, Reassessing The Conceptual Foundations Of Imperialism, Mapping Human Security, Evaluating The Gaze Of Orientalism And Defending The Analytical Relevance Of Gender As A Lens To Examine National Security Are Issues Covered In The Theoretical Ambit Of This Volume. The Book Also Addresses Two Other Core Issues: Contesting The Delhi-Centricity Of The Discipline And Acknowledging The Relevance Of Theory To Policy.

The Companion Volume To International Relations In India: Bringing Theory Back Home Deals With The Interplay Between Identities And Foreign Policy, Borders And Notions Of Territoriality And Critical Geopolitics. The Book Also Makes Room For New Interpretations Of Conventional Areas Of International Relations Such As Power And Violence, Thereby Creating The Conditions For A Sustained And Serious Theoretical Conversation Of The Discipline In India. Of Particular Relevance Are Contributions In The Field Of International Political Economy, An Area Of Traditional Neglect In The South Asian Setting.

India's foreign policy has witnessed a dramatic transformation since the end of the Cold War. Though academic study of Indian foreign policy has also shown a degree of maturity, theoretical developments have been underwhelming. Scholars have introduced new concepts and examined Indian foreign policy through new prisms, but a cohesive research agenda has not yet been charted. This volume intends to fill that void. It brings together new cutting-edge research in the field of Indian foreign policy - both at the theoretical and empirical level - so as to shape the discourse on foreign policy of one of the most important players in global politics. This volume explores key concepts like 'constructivism' and 'territoriality' and analyses their contribution to the academic discourse on Indian foreign policy. Issues such as the 'Indo-Pacific' and the 'responsibility to protect' have also been examined to address the expanding horizons of Indian foreign policy.

This book investigates the interplay of internal and external constraints, challenges and possibilities regarding foreign policy in India. It is the first attempt to systematically analyse and focus on the different actors and institutions in the domestic and international contexts who impose and push for various directions in India’s foreign policy. Rather than focusing on any one particular theme, the book explores the myriad aspects of foreign policymaking and the close interface between the domestic and external aspects in Indian policymaking. In turn, this relates to the structural issues shaping and reshaping the Asian regional dynamics and India’s connectivity within a globalized world. This book will be of great interest to postgraduate students; scholars of Asian Studies, development, and political science and international relations; and all those involved in policy – especially foreign policy – within India and South Asia. It will also be useful for people working in professional branches of consultancy and the private sector dealing with India and with South Asia in general.

Following the end of the Cold War, the economic reforms in the early 1990s, and ensuing impressive growth rates, India has emerged as a leading voice in global affairs, particularly on international economic issues. Its domestic market is fast-growing and India is becoming increasingly important to global geo-strategic calculations, at a time when it has been outperforming many other growing economies, and is the only Asian country with the heft to counterbalance China. Indeed, so much is India defined internationally by its economic performance (and challenges) that other dimensions of its internal situation, notably relevant to security, and of its foreign policy have been relatively neglected in the existing literature. This handbook presents an innovative, high profile volume, providing an authoritative and accessible examination and critique of Indian foreign policy. The handbook brings together essays from a global team of leading experts in the field to provide a comprehensive study of the various dimensions of Indian foreign policy.