 | This article has multiple issues. Please helpimprove it or discuss these issues on thetalk page.(Learn how and when to remove these messages) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
|
Theforeign policy of the Modi government is associated with the policy initiatives made towards other states by the current government ofIndia afterNarendra Modi assumed the office ofprime minister on May 26, 2014.
_(cropped).jpg)
.jpg)
TheMinistry of External Affairs, headed by External Affairs MinisterSubrahmanyam Jaishankar, is responsible for executing the foreign policy of India. Modi's foreign policy is focused on improving relations with neighboring countries in theIndian subcontinent,[1] engaging with the extended neighbourhoods ofSoutheast Asia,Middle East and the major global powers. In pursuit of this, he has made official visits toBhutan,Nepal, and Japan within the first 100 days of his government, followed by visits to the United States,Myanmar, Australia, and Fiji.
In his former role asChief Minister of Gujarat, Modi made several foreign trips to foster business relations with major Asian economic powers. This included meetings with Japanese Prime MinisterShinzo Abe in 2007 and 2012, which reportedly built personal rapport.[2] He also reached out for investment deals with China[3] and Israel,[4] who sought to increase economic ties beyond defense and agriculture, according to Israeli AmbassadorAlon Ushpiz.[5] Modi was widely appreciated for his endeavor to organizeVibrant Gujarat, a biannual international business summit, which welcomed investment in his home state and helped build a pro-development and business friendly image.[6]
Sushma Swaraj, one of the senior leaders of BJP, was given the portfolio of External Affairs which was going to be a very important ministry with India's growing role in international affairs.[7] She was the first woman to hold the office. Earlier on her capacity ofleader of opposition in Lok Sabha from 2009 to 2014 She met a galaxy of visiting foreign leaders which apparently helped her understand foreign relations. Modi appointedAjit Doval, a seasoned intelligence officer, as National Security Advisor (NSA).
On 28 January 2015, only a day after the US President Barack Obama's successful India visit, the Modi government sacked Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh and appointedSubrahmanyam Jaishankar in her place, Jaishankar used to be as India's ambassador to the United States.[8] Modi himself was believed to be unhappy over Singh's ability to lead the foreign office and on the other hand impressed by Jaishankar's diplomatic skills in turning the flagging relationship with the US into a flourishing partnership.[9] His secondary aides also includeArvind Gupta (deputy NSA) andMJ Akbar (sworn in as the Minister of State for External Affairs).[10][11]
S. Jaishankar was appointed as Minister of External Affairs since May 2019,[12] he succeededSushma Swaraj who was theExternal Affairs Minister inNarendra Modi's Government in his first stint. Jaishankar is the first former Foreign Secretary of India to head theMinistry of External Affairs as the Cabinet Minister.[13][14]Vikram Misri is serving Foreign Secretary of India since July, 2024.
Former National Security Adviser & Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon, an academic at Brookings, opined that the Modi Government's foreign policy is one of "strategic incoherence", executed without an "overarching conceptual framework".[15] There have been many policy initiatives since that has been making the headlines:
.jpg)
From the very beginning the Modi-led government made it amply clear that India would focus more and more on improving relations withASEAN, and other East Asian countries as per India'sLook East policy which was formulated during PMNarasimha Rao's government in 1992 for better economic engagement with its eastern neighbours but the successive government later successfully turned it into a tool for forging strategic partnership and security cooperation with countries in that region in general and Vietnam and Japan in particular.[16] In her recent visit toHanoi, Vietnam Sushma Swaraj has stressed on the need for an "Act East Policy"[17] that she said should replace India's over two-decade-old "Look East Policy" emphasizing a more proactive role for India in this region.[18][19][20]
One of the major policy initiatives taken by the Modi government is to focus back on its immediate neighbors in South Asia. Gujral doctrine was an important approach where India made its relation with its neighborhood which stands on five important principles. Even before becoming the prime minister,Narendra Modi hinted that his foreign policy will actively focus on improving ties with India's immediate neighbours which is being termed "neighborhood first: policy in the media"[21][22][23] and he started well by inviting all heads of state/heads of government of South Asian countries in his inauguration and on the second day on the office he held bilateral talks with all of them individually which was dubbed as amini SAARC summit by the media.[24] Later during a launch event atISRO, he asked Indian scientists to take the endeavour to develop a dedicatedSAARC satellite[25] to share the fruits of the technology like tele-medicine, e-learning, etc. with the people across South Asia to complement the currently operatingIndian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme program in the region.
TheIndian Ocean region (IOR), which has long been considered as India's nautical backyard, is steadily turning into a hotspot thanks to growing Chinese strategic presence over the region's numerous strategically located archipelagos.[26] To counter the recent moves made by China in the name ofCCP General SecretaryXi Jinping's petMaritime Silk Road project, India started to reach out its maritime neighbors in the IOR with proposals of enhanced economic and security cooperation.[27] The policy towards IOR started to unfold duringSri Lankan president's visit to New Delhi in early February 2015.[28] Following that Modi embarked on a three nationsYatraa (travel) to Mauritius, Seychelles and Sri Lanka,[29][30] although Maldives was also initially part of this outreach, the recent political turmoil in that country led to the last-minute cancellation of the scheduled visit.[31]
Ahead of Modi's scheduled visit to Beijing in May 2015, India wanted to project that it commanded a strategic supremacy over the IOR and that its relations with its maritime neighbors were far more cordial than that of China's with particular reference toSouth China Sea.[32][33][34]
On the back of growingChinese naval activity in the Indian Ocean region,[35] which India considers its area of responsibility, the Modi administration has introducedProject Mausam,[36] which is believed to rival the ChineseMaritime Silk Road (MSR) initiative.[37][38]Mausam (Hindi: मौसम) which means weather or season in many South and Southeast Asian languages is highlighted because of its profound role in cultural exchanges in the region as in ancient time maritime trade used to depend on seasonal monsoon winds. The project, which is still in the evolving phase, is being planned with theCultural Ministry, that will focus on the ancient trade and cultural linkages with emphasis on future maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean region stretching from Southeast Asia to East Africa with the central location of India, from where the ocean derived its name.[39]
Modi chose to visit Fiji soon after democracy was re-established in the island country after 8 years. There apart from the bilateral meeting, he also met heads of state/government from 14 pacific island states to enhance India's engagement in the region and proposed a 'Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation' (FIPIC) be held on a regular basis.[40] He conveyed there India's keenness to work closely with Pacific Island nations to advance their development priorities. In this regard a number of measures to strengthen India's partnership in the region were proposed that includes setting up of a 'special fund of $1 billion' for adapting climate change vis-a-vis clean energy, establishing a 'trade office' in India, 'Pan Pacific Islands e-network' to close the physical distance between the islands by improving digital connectivity, extending visa on arrival at Indian airports for all the fourteen Pacific Island countries, 'space cooperation' in space technology applications for improving the quality of life on the islands, 'training to diplomats' from Pacific Island countries to increase mutual understanding.[41] He also expressed his willingness to host the leaders in any of India's coastal town for the next summit in 2015. It was quite significant to see Xi Jinping following Modi's trail visited Fiji on 21 November (just 2 days after Modi's trip) to meet a similar gathering of leaders indicating a struggle for influence between the two Asian giants in the island countries of south pacific.[42][43]
On completion of the first 100 days of Modi government, the External Affairs Ministry published a booklet called"Fast Track Diplomacy"[44] show-casing the achievement made in the foreign policy arena. In her first media interaction, the ministerSushma Swaraj said the catchphrase for her tenure was "fast-track diplomacy" and said it had three faces – proactive, strong and sensitive.[45] Since taking office the External Affairs Minister held a round-table meeting with all Indian heads of missions to the SAARC region, ASEAN region and the Middle East separately as a follow-up measure to carry forward the leads gained by high-profile visits and exchanges.
One of the innovative ideas of Modi government is the introduction of elements ofparadiplomacy in India's foreign policy where each state and cities would be encouraged to forge special relation with countries or federal states of another country or even cities of their interest.[46]
During the upcoming visit ofCCP General SecretaryXi Jinping,Town twinning agreement betweenMumbai and Shanghai,Ahmedabad andGuangzhou and a similar 'sister states' agreement betweenGujarat andGuangdong of China will likely to be signed. EarlierVaranasi signed a partnership agreement withKyoto, Japan.
From the very beginning, the Modi led government made it amply clear that India would focus more and more on improving relation withASEAN and other East Asian countries as per India'sLook East policy which was formulated duringNarasimha Rao's government in 1992 for better economic engagement with its eastern neighbors, but the successive government later successfully turned it into a tool for forging strategic partnership and security cooperation with countries in that region in general and Vietnam and Japan in particular.[16] In her recent visit toHanoi, Vietnam Sushma Swaraj has stressed on the need for anAct East policy[17] that she said should replace India's over two-decade-old Look East Policy emphasizing a more proactive role for India in this region.[18]
East Asia being the major focus area of his foreign policy, Modi and his foreign minister chose several Asian countries for their initial bilateral visits. He has made state visits to Bhutan, Nepal, and Japan within the first 100 days of his government, followed by visits to Myanmar and Australia, and also hosted Asian leaders like Australian Prime MinisterTony Abbott, Chinese leaderXi Jinping, and Vietnamese Prime MinisterNguyễn Tấn Dũng apart from invitingSAARC leaders to his inauguration ceremony. External Affairs Minister Swaraj has also made official visits to several Asian capitals likeDhaka, Bangladesh;Kathmandu, Nepal;Naypidaw, Myanmar; Singapore;Manila, Philippines;Hanoi, Vietnam;Manama, Bahrain;Kabul, Afghanistan;Dushanbe, Tajikistan;Malé, Maldives;Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates;Seoul, South Korea; andBeijing, China.
Though India's exclusive economic zone does not extend into theSouth China Sea, the region is geopolitically important to India as a high volume of its trade passes through the South China Sea. Modi intends India to act as a stabilizing force in the Indo-Pacific Region as a part of Modi's underlyingAct East foreign policy initiative .[47]
Even before becoming the Prime MinisterNarendra Modi hinted that his foreign policy will actively focus on improving ties with India's immediate neighbors which is being termed as "neighborhood first" policy in the media[21][22][23] and he started well by inviting all heads of state/heads of government of South Asian countries in his inauguration and on the second day on the office he held bilateral talks with all of them individually which was dubbed as amini SAARC summit by the media.[24] Later during a launch event atISRO, he has asked Indian scientists to take the endeavor to develop a dedicatedSAARC satellite,[25] to share the fruits of the technology like tele-medicine, e-learning etc. with the people across South Asia to complement the currently operatingIndian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme program in the region.
Indian External Affairs Ministry refers to the region of 'Middle East' as West Asia and not as the Middle East which is a more popular attribution, particularly in the western countries. The region plays a vital role in India's economy as it supplies nearly two-thirds of India's total oil import, bilateral trade is also flourishing in recent years particularly with UAE and other Gulf states. Over the years millions of Indians mostly working class have migrated to the gulf looking for jobs and they account for a sizeable share in the total remittances received from abroad.
In an attempt to strengthen ties with India's western neighbors specially thePersian Gulf countries, Modi proposed this policy to complement hisAct East policy concerning East Asia. Although it is called 'Link West' (West of India) which gives it a bigger geographical connotation, it is most likely to focus on the middle-east and some of India's strategic thinkers are calling it as Modi's middle-east policy.[48] The West Asia Approach of India[49] is working successfully and its relations with the Middle East are improving since Modi came in power. The "West Asia Approach" of India is now its key strategy to win the Middle East. Indian foreign policy makers say that India's interests in theGCC countries are intimately linked with its energy security, trade, employment for Indians and remittances while Middle Eastern foreign policy experts believe that India has showcased itself as "Security Partner" during Modi's visit to UAE. Given the economic and human security interests, the stability and security of the GCC countries is crucial for India because a huge flow of remittances comes from GCC to the Indian economy.[50]
On 16 December 2014, Home MinisterRajnath Singh announced in the Parliament thatISIS is banned as a terrorist organization under the United Nations schedule.[51] Following the arrest of few Indian individuals with ISIS connections, on 26 February 2015, India put fresh bans on 'The Islamic States/Islamic States of Iraq and Syria/Islamic States of Iraq and Levant' with all its manifestation and all its affiliates under theUnlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.[52][53]
At the height of thetension between Israel and Hamas in July, India offered a rhetorical condemnation holding both sides responsible for erupting violence and asked Israel to stop "disproportionate use of force" in Gaza which was read by many[who?] as departure from tradition of more vocal supports for the Palestinian cause. External Affairs Minister Swaraj insisted that "there is absolutely no change in India's policy towards Palestine, which is that we fully support the Palestinian cause while maintaining good relations with Israel. " clarifying India's current position on the issue.
Sushma Swaraj, a seasoned parliamentarian, had herself blocked the opposition demand inRajya Sabha for passing a resolution condemning Israel for2014 Israel-Gaza conflict by saying that "India has friendly relation with both Israel and Palestine and therefore any such move may impact its friendship negatively".[54] Although later in a symbolic gesture, India joined other BRICS nations in voting at theUnited Nations Human Rights Council for a probe into the alleged human rights violation in Gaza which generated mixed response among media and analysts in India.[55]
With the rise ofISIS in northern Iraq, where hundreds of thousands of Indian migrant workers live, the security of those overseas Indians came under threat. On 16 June, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) set up a 24-hour helpline at the Indian embassy inBaghdad for the assistance of Indian nationals stranded in the conflict cities. It has been reported that 46 Indian nurses were abducted from the Iraqi town of Mosul[56] who were later freed and flown back to India.[57] Moreover, 39 Indian workers mainly fromPunjab were taken hostages and the fate of those workers still not known. There were widespread speculations about their lives and on 27 November 2014ABP News reported, citing Bangladeshi migrant co-workers, death of all the 39 men. Although the following day, External Affairs Minister (EAM) Swaraj made a statement to theparliament neither rejecting nor confirming such possibility and re-assured the nation about MEA's commitment for continuing search for the Indians in Iraq.[58][59]
A similar situation occurred in Libya where many Indian nationals are stranded because of the armed conflict that broke inBenghazi and other parts of the country. Swaraj informed the parliament that her ministry was evaluating all possibilities to secure the safe evacuation of all Indians stranded in both Iraq and Libya.[60] A chartered flight fromDjerba, Tunisia brought over 200 nationals back to India. A further 216 nationals left on 8 August, with a total of another 1,500 nationals having been evacuated. About 3,000 more nationals registered with the embassy in Tripoli to return.[61] On 5 August 44 nurses returned to India on a specialAir India flight; they were predominantly from Kerala with some from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.[62] A further three Goans were reported to be safe in Libya with full employment and had not requested repatriation. Goa's Director of NRI Affairs U. D. Kamat said that it was ascertaining whether there were Goan workers in the country.[63]
After the outbreak of aerial attacks by the Saudi led coalition following the coup by theHouthi rebels in Yemen, Government of India launched a massive rescue operation calledOperation Raahat (meaning: Relief) to save hundreds of non-residential Indians located there.[64] Minister of State for External Affairs GeneralV K Singh himself oversaw the entire rescue operation right from the battle ground towns ofSana'a andAden in Yemen and the Indian base of operation inDjibouti. In the process, theIndian Navy deployed its front line ships such asINS Mumbai,INS Sumitra and others while the Indian Air Force too deployed itsC-17 Globemaster tactical airlifter to airlift the stranded Indians and the national carrierAir India also took an active part by ferrying passengers.[65] The operation was highly successful and received huge acclamation from across the globe as it rescued not only Indians but thousands of foreigners stranded in the war torn country too.[66][67]
.jpg)
.jpg)
During the run-up to the general election there was wide-ranging scepticism regarding future of thestrategic bilateral relation under Modi's premiership as in 2005 he was, whileChief Minister of Gujarat, denied a U.S. visa[68] during theBush administration for his allegedpoor human rights records.[69] However, in the run-up to the 2014 election, which polling suggested Modi's BJP was favored to win,US AmbassadorNancy Powell and other Western diplomats began outreach to Modi. Following his election as the Prime Minister of India,President Obama congratulated him over the telephone and invited him to visit the US.[70][71] U.S. Secretary of StateJohn Kerry visited New Delhi on 1 August to prepare the grounds for Modi's first-ever US visit as prime minister. In September 2014, days before visiting the US in an interview toCNN’sFareed Zakaria, Modi said that "India and the United States are bound together, by history and culture" but acknowledged that there have been "ups and downs" in relations.[72] Modi travelled to US from 27 to 30 September 2014,[73] beginning with his maiden address in theUnited Nations general assembly followed by attending a gala public reception by the Indian American community in New York'sMadison Square Garden before heading Washington, D.C. for the bilateral talk with Obama. While there, Modi also met several American business leaders and invited them to join his ambitiousMake in India program in a bid to make India a manufacturing hub.[74][75][76] Later President Obama greeted Modi by calling him a "Man of Action" during their brief interaction at the Gala dinner hosted by Myanmar's president on the eve ofninthEast Asia Summit this was their second meeting since Obama hosted a rare dinner for Modi at the White House on 29 September 2014.[77] On 9 December 2014US Senate confirmedRichard Rahul Verma as the US ambassador to India, the first Indian American to hold the office, signalling the Obama administration's will to elevate the relation with India to a newer height. He assumed office in the US Embassy in New Delhi on 19 December 2014.[78]
Modi invited President Obama to be the first US president to grace the66th Republic Day celebration asChief guest,[79] an honour typically reserved for India's closest ally. President Obama was the first US president to visit India twice in office and the two leaders now scheduled to hold back to back summits within six months which is being referred as Modi's diplomatic coup by the media.[80] "This Republic Day, we hope to have a friend over… invited President Obama to be the 1st US president to grace the occasion as chief guest."- Modi tweeted.[81]
On 26 June 2017, Modi met with U.S. PresidentDonald Trump in Washington, DC where they discussed trade, specifically airplanes and natural gas, and terrorism.[82][83] During the Trump administration, the bilateral relationship was upgraded to a comprehensive global strategic partnership. The two sides share the same position on combating "radical Islamic terrorism" and promoting aFree and Open Indo-Pacific.[84][85]
Following Trump's re-election, in February 2025, Modi visited the White House to negotiatetariffs and advance a deal aimed at doubling bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030.[86] India's trade-weighted average tariff was 12%, compared to the United States' 2.2%, leading to Trump repeatedly calling the country "tariff king" and a "big abuser" of trade ties.[87][88] The US was India's largest export market and analyses projected that reciprocal tariff measures would cause India significant economic harm.[89] An internal Indian analysis estimated that reciprocal tariffs would affect 87% of its total exports to the US, valued at $66 billion. India estimated increases of 6% to 10% in tariffs on items such as pearls, mineral fuels, and machinery and believed its $11 billion worth of pharmaceutical and automotive exports would see the highest impact.[87]
To address Trump's trade concerns, in February 2025 India reduced tariffs on motorcycles and whiskey, pledged to review additional tariffs, and offered to increase US energy and defense equipment imports.[86] The following month,Reuters reported that India was open to lowering or eliminating tariffs on 55% of its imports from the US, valued at $23 billion, which were currently subject to tariffs ranging from 5% to 30%. India warned the offer was contingent on relief from reciprocal tariffs and said decisions were not final.[87]
On April 2, the US applied a 27% "reciprocal tariff" on imports from India.[89] India signaled that it would negotiate with the United States and rather than pursue retaliatory tariffs.[90] After the US delayed implementing the tariff, the US Treasury Secretary stated on April 29, 2025, that "India would be one of the first trade deals we sign" on April 29, 2025.[91] On July 1, Trump said the two countries were nearing a deal.[92]
However, as of July 30, no deal had been finalized. Trump announced that a 25% reciprocal tariff on Indian goods would go into effect on August 1 and warned of an additional, unspecified penalty in response to India’s continued purchases of Russian military equipment and energy.[93] Earlier in July, U.S. SenatorLindsey Graham introduced a sanctions bill proposing tariffs of up to 500% on countries—including India—that continued to trade oil with Russia.[94][95]
.jpg)
Narendra Modi met theBrazilian President,Dilma Rousseff on the sidelines of the6th BRICS summit inBrasília, Brazil, in July 2014. Describing Brazil as a key global partner for India, Modi noted that as two democracies and major emerging economies, India and Brazil not only had vast potential for bilateral cooperation, but also to strengthen each other in international forums and advance the interest of the developing world at large. President Rousseff emphasized the special place this relationship enjoyed in Brazil's foreign policy, because of the potential for bilateral cooperation and the international significance of their partnership. She congratulated Narendra Modi for his victory in the elections and wished him all success for India's progress and development. The two leaders also agreed to take steps to further expand and diversify trade and investment flows and deepen cooperation in agriculture and dairy science, conventional and renewable energy, space research and applications, defence,cyber security and environment conservation.[96]
More recently, in January 2020, Brazilian PresidentJair Bolsonaro made his first official visit to Modi's India. Considered as a particularly warm welcome by the visiting delegation — therefore kept in high regard since then —, the reception helped Bolsonaro's chancellery gain some traction overseas, overcoming a persisting trend of Brazilian international isolation started with the2019 Amazon rainforest wildfires. Later in the same year, in the context of theCOVID-19 pandemic, both governments launched cooperation programs aimed at addressing the ongoing health and sanitary crisis.[97][98]
In April 2015 Modi visited Canada and was the first bilateral visit to that country by anIndian Prime Minister in 42 years. India made a nuclear deal with the Canada's biggest producer of uranium,Cameco, signed a $280 million, five-year deal to supply uranium to fuel Indian nuclear reactors. The long-term deal announced later that Cameco will sell 7.1 million pounds of uranium to India, through 2020.[99]
Modi held bilateral talks with Canadian Prime MinisterStephen Harper, and signed variousMoUs like in areas of cybersecurity, skill development, cooperation in the railways and civil aviation front.[99]
Modi received "rockstar" reception in Canada where he addressed a crowd of over 10,000 at theRicoh Coliseum Stage inToronto.[99][100][101][102]
On September 18, 2023, Canadian prime ministerJustin Trudeau stated that Canadian intelligence has identified a credible link between the murder of Sikh separatistHardeep Singh Nijjar and the Indian government, calling on India to cooperate with Canada in investigating the murder.[103] In response to the alleged killing, the Canadian foreign ministerMélanie Joly ordered the expulsion of a top Indian diplomat in Canada, who headed the operations of theResearch and Analysis Wing, India's external intelligence agency, in Canada.[104]
.jpg)
India maintains a strategic relationship with France. Both countries have invested political capital to deepen collaboration in the cultural, economic, social, technological and military realms. Modi met French PresidentFrancois Hollande at the 2014 G-20 Summit in Brisbane, and discussed bilateral strategic, space and defence issues besides committing to global cooperation against terrorism.[105] Following the January 2015Charlie Hebdo terror attack in Paris, Modi condemned the act of terror and called Hollande to convey condolences on behalf of the people of India as well as express solidarity with the people of France.[106]French foreign minister Laurent Fabius made several visits to New Delhi to unlock stalled negotiations regardingDassault Rafale fighter aircraft forIndian Air Force and the 9900 MWnuclear power plant in Jaitapur by the French firmAreva.[107]
In April 2015, Modi choose Paris as his first destination in Europe as part of hisLink West outreach.[108] Modi's visit resulted in a government-to-government deal for 36Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft in fly-away condition. India and France signed an initial agreement betweenNuclear Power Corporation of India andAreva regarding the setting up of Jaitapur nuclear power plant.[109] Modi toured the aircraft assembly facilities ofDassault Aviation inBordeaux andAirbus inToulouse where he promoted theMake in India campaign by urging the aerospace giants to cultivate manufacturing opportunities in India (Airbus committed to increase its outsourcing from India from the current level of US$400 million to US$2 billion by 2020). Modi travelled toLille in the north of France to pay hommage atNeuve-Chapelle Indian Memorial dedicated to the remembrance of 4742 soldiers of theBritish Indian Army who died during World War I & II.[110]
On 30 November 2015, Indian Prime-Minister Narendra Modi travelled to France for a 2-day visit to attend theCOP 212015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris.[111] Narendra Modi and François Hollande jointly invited over 100 world leaders to joinInSPA (International Agency for Solar Policy & Application) – a global initiative to promote low-carbon renewable solar energy technologies.[112][113][114]
When the Climate Change Treaty itself was under threat with President Trump announcing the withdrawal of USA -one of the major polluters as such, USA did become a part of the International Solar Alliance and lauded the efforts of the Indian leader.[115]
India invited French President Francois Hollande to be the chief guest at theRepublic Day parade in New Delhi on 26 January 2016. The invitation was conveyed through the visiting French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, making France the only country to be invited a record setting5 times to the highly symbolic national ceremonial event.[116][117][118]
UK Prime MinisterDavid Cameron was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Modi soon after his landslide victory in theelection. The two leaders met for the first time on 14 November 2014 on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' summit inBrisbane, where the British Prime Minister said improving relations with India was the "top priority" of UK foreign policy. He also invited Modi to visit his country at the earliest.[119]
Earlier Deputy Prime MinisterNick Clegg attributed the growth story of South Asia, which was going to grow fastest in 2014–15 outside the East Asia region, to the election of Prime Minister Modi and his recent efforts to turn around the economy.[120] The British Government hailed Modi'sMake in India policy and planned to invest in Rajasthan.[121]
Modi paid a state visit to the UK in late 2015, meetingQueen Elizabeth II and prime minister David Cameron. On 13 November 2015 Modi addressed a rally at the newWembley Stadium atWembley Park, north-west London. 60,000 people, mostlyBritish Indians, attended.[122]
In April 2015 Modi visited Germany where he held bilateral talks withGerman ChancellorAngela Merkel. Modi also inauguratedHannover Fair 2015-world's largest industrial fair,[123] where India was the partner country.[124]
Modi made the strongest pitch for theMake in India initiative in Hannover fair. He said, "The entire world is looking at India. Demography, democracy and demand are attracting the world to India."[99]
There were announcements of strengthened cooperation in sectors like energy, skill development, science & technology, and the Modi government's initiatives likeDigital India andClean India.[99]
Russia, India's long-term strategic partner for more than half a century, enjoyed a degree of special and privileged cooperation unparalleled in India's foreign relations during cold war. But over the years especially after their end of the cold war, the relation experienced strain as India started diversifying its defence purchases from a totally Soviet-dominated one. But with Putin and Modi, both withstrongman image at their home country, at the helm of affairs in their respective foreign policy, it is expected to get a push.[125][126] During the 20th 'India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological Cooperation' (IRIGC-TEC) held on 5 November 2014 in New Delhi Modi met the Russian deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and had reassured the visiting side that the new dispensation in New Delhi will continue to attach very high importance to the time-tested and special strategic partnership with Russia.[127] The annual commission meeting had identified new areas of cooperation including prioritising the International North-South Corridor Project (INSTC), start negotiating on a Free Trade Agreement between India and the Eurasian customs union, focusing on enhancing economic partnership in areas like energy, civil aviation and diamond trade along with Russian participation in Modi's smart city project.[128] Earlier on his first meeting with Putin, emphasising Russia's indispensable position in India's foreign policy Modi went on to say that even a child in India considers Russia as itsbest friend.[129] This meeting in Brazil at the sidelines of BRICS summit served well as the familiarisation between the two leaders.[130]
President Putin visited New Delhi on 11 December 2014 for the annual summit, first after Modi assumed office.[131][132] Trade and energy cooperation dominated the talks as they set a target of US$30 billion of bilateral trade by 2025 with an equal amount of investment in each other's economy. On the backdrop ofinternational sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War, Putin earlier signed a gas deal with China worth US$400 billion believed to be heavily tilted in China's favour. India too was keen to strike an energy agreement on line of above.[133] During the summit, both sides agreed for a joint feasibility study of building a gas pipeline through China.[134] The two sides signed a total of 16 agreements and memorandum of understanding on various fields. Agreements on long term oil and gas cooperation have been signed betweenONGC Videsh andEssar Oil of India and Russia'sRosneft,Gasprom[135] Putin also vowed to install 10 more nuclear reactors in next 20 years including adding more units toKudankulam plant. Another burgeoning aspect in bilateral relations emerged in the form of Diamond trading, While Russia is the largest producer of raw diamond, India is the global hub of cutting and polishing raw diamonds. Russia has agreed to export raw diamonds to India directly bypassing mediators like Dubai and Belgium. On this occasion, the two leaders also attended aWorld Diamond Conference held in New Delhi.[136] The Crimean leaderSergey Aksyonov, who accompanied Putin in New Delhi, met several business delegations to discuss the opportunity in the Black sea region although it was termed as unofficial. This has once again raised concerns in Washington, D.C. regarding India's stand on Crimea.[137]
In the summit, Modi mentioned his experience with the Russian built carrierINS Vikramaditya as an example of burgeoning military cooperation and remarked that "even though India's options have increased, Russia will continue to remain its topmost defence partner" signalling a long term defence relation. The two sides agreed on joint production ofMil Mi-17 andKamov Ka-226[138] helicopters with Russian technology in India in compliance with Modi'sMake in India program and also fast forwarding the long pending major projects like the joint development and production oflight transport aircraft.[139] The final design contract of fifth generation joint fighter platformSukhoi-HAL FGFA is expected to be signed soon as it already lagging by more than 2 years.[140] India is set to lease a second nuclear poweredAkula-class submarine from Russia afterINS Chakra (2011) which is already in service.[141] Weeks before Putin's visit news of Russian Defence MinisterSergei Shoigu's Pakistan visit on 20 November 2014, first such visit in more than 40 years, when the two sides inked a defence cooperation pact. Media reports suggested that Russia was mulling a possible sale ofMi 35 attack copter, the first ever combat platform, to India's arch rival Pakistan.[142] These developments have raised concerns in the Indian strategic community as some see this as a counter move to growing Indo-US defence collaboration. Although the official response was much restrained as they termed it 'significant'.[143] Such apprehensions in India about Russia's strategic goals in the region was by the Russian ambassador Kaladin as he said that it will not do anything detrimental to India's security.[144] Later Putin himself in an interview with India'sPTI news agency said that 'Russia-Pakistan ties in India's long-term interest'.[145]
The third summit in a rotation basis was scheduled to be held in New Delhi, India in December 2014. But lately,Syed Akbaruddin, the official spokesperson ofIndian Foreign Ministry told the media that the scheduled summit is now postponed to 2015 and will include more no. of African leaders, unlike previous two occasions where the event was restricted to only 10–15 African countries. Although media reports claimed that theEbola outbreak in Western African nations played a key role behind the postponement of the summit.[146] The summit is now rescheduled on 26–30 October 2015.[147]
Mauritius was the only country outside South Asia whose head of government attended Modi's swearing-in ceremony in Delhi. Withpeople of Indian origin constituting a large share of its population Mauritius has very good bilateral relations with New Delhi. Swaraj made her maiden trip as foreign minister to the island country on 2 November 2014 to attend the celebration of Apravasi Divas, marking 180 years since the first Indian indentured labourers arrived in Mauritius. There she had called on PresidentRajkeswur Purryag and Prime MinisterNavinchandra Ramgoolam to discuss bilateral and regional issues of common interest.[148] On top of her agenda was talk on cooperation between theIndian Navy and Mauritian Coast Guard to ensure the safety and security of the strategically vital Indian Ocean region. In support of her stress on the importance of maritime cooperation three majorIndian war ships were docked in Mauritian waters including a destroyerINS Mumbai, a frigateINS Talwar and the fleet tankerINS Deepak.[149]
Modi made his first state visit to the island country in March 2015 as part of his larger outreach to India's maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean where he participated in the Mauritius National Day celebration inPort Louis on 12 March 2015. He was also present during the commissioning ceremony ofMCGS Barracuda, theoffshore patrol vessels (OPV) that Mauritius bought fromKolkata basedGRSE shipyard. The ship was earlier handed over on 20 December 2014 which marked India's first warship export.[150][151]
India, as one of leading developing countries, plays an active role in important multilateral forums for global governance such as United Nations,World Trade Organization,G20 leaders summit,East Asia Summit,BRICS summit of emerging economies,Commonwealth of Nations and often seen as a 'Third World voice'. Apart from these big platforms India also engaged in many regional groupings like theBASIC,Shanghai Cooperation Organisation,Indian Ocean Rim Association,IBSA Dialogue Forum,South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation,Mekong–Ganga Cooperation,BIMSTEC among others.
Modi in his maiden speech at theBRICS, a group of emerging economies comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, called for brotherhood among the member states citingVasudhaiva Kutumbakam, an ancient Indian concept meaning the entire world is one family, to unitedly face the global challenges.
India together with its BRICS partner working toward the launching of a financial institute rivalling the western dominatedWorld Bank andIMF which was first proposed during theNew Delhi summit in 2012 by the then Indian Prime MinisterManmohan Singh. In the6th BRICS summit held on 14–26 July inFortaleza, Brazil the group have agreed to establish the bank with a corpus of US$100 billion. The bank would be named theNew Development Bank as suggested by the Indian side but Modi government has failed to bag the bank's headquarter for New Delhi which would be located in Shanghai, China.[152]
India is now a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which is known to be a China-backed bloc for military and energy cooperation. It held observer status from 2005 and publicly expressed its wish for a full membership. India and Pakistan joined SCO as full members on 9 June 2017 in Astana, Kazakhstan. Although Russia had all along backed India's entry it was Beijing's reservation which held it so long. However Chinese leaderXi Jinping informed Modi duringBRICS summit in Brazil that it is ready to welcome India together with Pakistan to project a united front against Islamic extremism in Central Asia including Afghanistan especially after NATO withdrawal. On 11–12 SeptemberEAM Sushma Swaraj attended theDushanbe summit in Tajikistan where India formally put its paper for a full membership and it became likely that it would be granted so according to Chinese officials.[155] Modi participated at theheads of government summit inAstana, Kazakhstan in December.[156]
Modi delivered his maiden speech in thesixty-ninth session of the United Nations General Assembly on 27 September 2014, where he called for reform and expansion ofUnited Nations Security Council including India's long-standing demand of a permanent membership. He expressed his concerns over the relevance of a 20th-century setup in the 21st century and the need to evaluate the UN's performance in the past 70 years. He had also argued why the UN should serve as "G-All" for global governance instead of several parallel sub-groupings likeG7,G20, etc. In the wake ofISIS threat in West Asia and similar in other parts of the globe he urged for immediate implementation of 'Comprehensive on International Terrorism' by the UN and offered India's pro-active role in it citing India as a victim of terrorism for decades. Prior to his speech he along with External Affairs Minister Swaraj met UN Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon and discussed UN governance relating issues.[157] Ridiculing the possibility of any multilateral intervention, a demandSharif has made in his address at the UNGA on 26 September, on Kashmir related matter he stated that his government is ready for 'bilateral talk' to Pakistan provided Pakistan should cultivate a suitable environment for talks by giving up terrorism policy against India.[158] Modi commented briefly on climate change and use of clean energy. He also asked world leaders and UN officials for observing International Yoga Day, emphasizing the importance of incorporatingYoga in modern-day lifestyle.[159]
At the sidelines, he held bilateral meetings with Bangladeshi Prime MinisterSheikh Hasina, Sri Lankan PresidentMahinda Rajapaksa and Nepali Prime MinisterSushil Koirala taking his 'neighbourhood first' policy forward even in New York City. But there was no meeting with Pakistani Prime MinisterNawaz Sharif following the recent low in the relation. Later he also met whereBenjamin Netanyahu, in a first meeting in 11 years between the two heads of government, the Israeli Prime Minister who had highlighted the potential of the bilateral relation saying "sky is the limit".[160]
Association of South-East Asian Nations or ASEAN is the 10 member block, it is one of the most successful regional block in the world. India started looking toward the group seriously from 1992 with the launch of 'Look East policy' and now it occupies the central position in India's policy Southeast Asia. From 2002 onward India and ASEAN started holding an annual summit at the sidelined of ASEAN summit showing the growing level of engagement between the two sides.[161][162]
At the12th India-ASEAN summit, which was Modi's first appearance in an ASEAN meet, he called for greater connectivity with the Southeast Asian countries and mentioned that "India and ASEAN can be 'great partners'".[163] Stressing on the importance ASEAN commands in India's foreign policy Modi has repeatedly remarked that his government has in the last 6 months made relation with ASEAN a top priority and turned India's two-decade old 'Look East policy' into 'Act East policy' which reflects a renewed momentum in India's approach toward ASEAN nations. The two sides also discussed the scope of extending the existing free trade agreement on the service sector as well and ways to increaseIndia-ASEAN trade which is expected to reach US$100 billion in 2015. Modi also stressed on three 'C's to strengthen the relation and those are commerce, connectivity and cultural links.[164]
In the sidelines of ASEAN summit Modi, also held several bilateral meetings with his counterparts including Thai Prime Minister GenPrayuth Chan-ocha, Singapore's Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong, Sultan of BruneiHassanal Bolkiah and South Korean PresidentPark Geun-hye.[165]
Earlier Swaraj had attended the2014 ASEAN Regional Forum followed by the relatedEAS Foreign Ministers meeting, held from 8–11 August inNaypidaw, Myanmar, which was her first ever appearance in multilateral forums after becoming India's foreign affairs head. At the sidelines of the multilateral meetings, she had also held bilateral meetings with her counterparts from seven countries including China, Australia, Canada, Vietnam, Philippines, Brunei and Indonesia.[166][167]
In regards to the controversy of territorial ownership in theSouth China Sea, a contentious issue impacting mostASEAN member states, whereONGC Videsh has an investment in oil blocks,MEA spokespersonSyed Akbaruddin said: "India is not a party to the dispute in the South China Sea. We feel that the dispute should be resolved between those who are party to it in a peaceful manner and it should be in accordance with international law".[168]
East Asia Summit (EAS) which is an ASEAN led dialogue forum comprises 18 countries, 10 core ASEAN nations along with Japan, China, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, Russia and the United States. Over the years EAS has become the most important multilateral body in the Asia Pacific region for discussing security, trade and commerce, environment and others, unlikeAPEC which is purely economic in nature. Modi participated in theninthEast Asia Summit inNay Pyi Daw, Myanmar in November which was his second major multilateral even afterBRICS in July. Describing the importance of the EAS in managing regional security, Modi mentioned "No other forum brings together such a large collective weight of global population, youth, economy and military strength. Nor is any other forum so critical for peace, stability and prosperity in Asia-Pacific and the world".[169]
With a veiled reference of theissue of South China Sea Modi has asked the global community for respecting maritime norms and regulations and stressed on the importance of maintaining free and secured sea-lines of communication for regular trade and commerce.[170] He made a remark that "In a world of interdependence and globalisation, there is no option but to follow international laws and norms. This also applies to maritime security. For this reason, following international law and norms is important for peace and stability in the South China Sea as well".[171] Modi also focused on the role of EAS member countries to tackle the menace of terrorism in the region.[172] Modi also highlighted the re-opening ofNalanda University and the role of all EAS member states into it to showcase the joint effort of the block. Among others, the issue ofRegional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was discussed in details during the summit.
In the sidelines of EAS Modi also held several bilateral meetings with his counterparts including Russia PremierDmitry Medvedev, The Philippines PresidentBenigno Aquino, Chinese PremierLi Keqiang and Indonesian PresidentJoko Widodo.[173]
.jpg)
G20 or the Group of 20 leading economies (advanced and emerging markets) of the world formed after the2008 financial crisis for international financial governance. India which ranks 5 in terms of nominal GDP and the fastest growing economy plays an important role in the group since it began in 2008. For the first time in 2014, India was represented by Prime Minister Modi unlike all the previous summits whenDr. Manmohan Singh, an economist, used to be the Prime Minister. The host and President of2014 summit Australia'sTony Abbott intended the summit to focus exclusively on revamping the crisis prone fragile economy and to add US$2 trillion in the global economy by additional 2% global GDP growth rate for the next five years but countries like the US were keener to discuss issues of climate change and reduction of carbon emissions as it sealed a similar pact with China. India's interest was also aligned with Abbott as it wanted to reboot its economy and return to the high growth trajectory soon.[174]
Modi became the Prime Minister of the world's largest democracy, winning the highest number of votes in its history, and was the most sought after world leader at the G20 in Brisbane.The Guardian called Modi theG20's political rock star, while commenting on Modi's popularity in Brisbane.[175] His personal rapport with host Australian Prime MinisterTony Abbott was something to watch out for. Abbott who was meeting Modi for the third time, after his New Delhi trip in September and inNay Pyi Daw just 2 days ago, extended a warm hug to Modi while welcoming world leaders in the summit venue in Brisbane. This also generated in the Australian media circle as there was 'no hug' even for Abbott's long-time friend Cameron. Modi, on his longest trip of 10 days to three different countries, met leaders from 40 different countries. Thereafter he visited Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra in what is being referred to as his 'diplomatic juggernaut'.[176]
The issue ofblack or unaccounted money kept in tax havens (countries that allow foreigners to dump huge unaccounted money) abroad was also raised by Modi which is also a burning issue in India's domestic polity. He also stressed on the need of changing laws in certain countries to allow better information sharing of black money kept abroad as it is also linked to the terror funding.[177] India the world's largest recipient of remittances with $71 billion sent last year, pushed hard for the reduction in the remittance costs of non-residents at the G20 summit, asking it to work on steps to reduce costs in sending money home from abroad which is as high as 10 per cent in some countries. Earlier India has been able to convince Saudi Arabia to reduce it to 3.5 per cent. G20 agreed to bring down the global average cost of transferring remittances to 5%.[178]
In the sidelines of G20 Modi also held several bilateral meetings with his counterparts including British Prime MinisterDavid Cameron, German ChancellorAngela Merkel, French PresidentFrançois Hollande, European Union PresidentHerman Van Rompuy, Saudi Crown PrinceSalman bin Abdulaziz, Canadian Prime MinisterStephen Harper and also attended a special dinner hosted by his friendShinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan.[179] Even before the G20 summit formally begins all five leaders of theBRICS grouping gathered in Brisbane for an informal meeting at the invitation of Brazilian PresidentDilma Rousseff to discuss issues concerning the group like theNew Development Bank.[180]
Relations with the immediate neighbours in South Asia, which have allegedly long been neglected by the previous governments, became a priority feature in Modi's foreign policy. He started well by inviting all the heads of states/governments of the neighbouring countries at his inauguration and then pushed for an early summit to encourage cooperation in many regional issues like trade, connectivity, infrastructure, transit facility among the member states. In hismaiden SAARC summit in the Nepalese capitalKathmandu, he had focused on greater people to people contacts, better connectivity, commercial linkages within the region.[181]
China, which holds an observer status in the group, was represented by Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin seen actively promoting a more active role for itself in the region including infrastructure funding through its proposedAsian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and extending its ambitiousMaritime Silk Road project to South Asian nations. Pakistan, China's all weather friend, also vouched for a more participatory role for the observer nations in the summit process, indirectly advocating for a more Chinese involvement.[182] Although no such proposal was accepted because of India's reservation.[183]
India had earlier advanced three proposals to boost connectivity in the region and those were the 'Regulation of Passenger and Cargo Vehicular Traffic amongst SAARC Member States' for seamless vehicular movement beyond the national borders the 'SAARC Regional Agreement on Railways' for international rail service and the 'SAARC Framework Agreement for Energy Cooperation (Electricity)' for energy trade in the subcontinent which is often regarded as world's most energy-starved region. Pakistan which is the second largest economy in the block threatened to jeopardise the entire summit by not agreeing on any of the three proposed agreements.[184] Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj had a brief interaction withSartaj Aziz, Pakistan's foreign affairs advisor which was seen as a possible ice-breaker but later the Indian side termed it as ‘courtesy call’.[185] The Nepalese delegation including Prime Minister Koirala, the summit host, tried hard to mediate between India and Pakistan to rescue the summit from total failure which led to a hand-shake between Modi and Sharif at the end.[186][187] Finally, all the sides agreed to sign the 'SAARC Framework Agreement for Energy Cooperation (Electricity)' only as a face-saving measure for the Kathmandu summit.[188]
In the sidelines of the main summit, Modi also held bilateral meetings with leaders of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka with a notable exception of Pakistan due to ongoing stand-off between the two countries.[189]
Although India is not a member ofAPEC, Chinese leaderXi Jinping, the host of the2014 APEC summit, invited Modi to attend the event in Beijing as a guest and also showed willingness to support India's bid to join APEC. India already enjoys such support from other member states such as Russia and Vietnam.[190] However, Modi did not participate in the meeting as a host partner country on the line of Pakistan and Bangladesh on the account of busy diplomatic schedule and a likely state visit to China next year.[191]
Modi has brought together 120 countries to form a solar alliance namedInternational Agency for Solar Technologies & Applications (INSTA).[192]
In November 2016, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in their Summit Joint Statement reiterated the resolve of the two countries to "develop industrial corridors and industrial network for the growth of Asia and Africa." India-Japan economic engagement with Africa, under the aegis of Asia Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC), is based on the premise that the direction of global economic activities is indeed shifting towards theIndo-Pacific region.[193]
AAGC seeks to provide an alternative model of development and partnership between developed and developing countries/region for mutual benefit incorporating interconnectivity, infrastructure development, and capacity building.
The first face-to-face meeting between US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sealed with a bear hug Monday, as the two leaders looked to publicly underscore their newfound friendship.
.jpg)
:14 was invoked but never defined (see thehelp page).
| ||
| Life and politics | .jpg) | |
| Chief Ministership | ||
| Premiership | ||
| Budgets | ||
| Constitutional amendments | ||
| Policies | ||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
