Changing Trends of India’s Foreign Policy in the 21 Century-An Analysis

Abstract

     India's foreign policy in the twenty-first century has been dominated by the pursuit of an enabling environment in its neighborhood and throughout the world that enables its economy to grow, society to develop, and soft power to flourish – as this country of 1.3 billion people seeks its rightful place in the comity of nations. After almost three decades of reforms and opening up to the rest of the world, India now confronts new security challenges and the need for more money, technology, ideas, and creativity to drive its transformation. India's significant global influence is readily seen in its dynamic foreign policy orientation and a number of innovative joint initiatives with other countries. In the early 1990s, then-Indian Prime Minister P.V. Narsimha Rao launched a new chapter in the Indian foreign policy paradigm known as the ‘Look-East Policy.’ The Look-East Policy reflects a deliberate reorientation of India's worldview and positioning in the fast expanding global economy. Since the Policy’s establishment, India and ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) have taken many bilateral, regional, and sub-regional efforts to ensure the Policy’s success. The current article aims to highlight some of the emerging trends that India’s foreign policy is expected to encounter in the twenty-first century. Furthermore, the study analyzes the changes that have shaped the substance and trajectory of India's foreign policy in the contemporary era.