India should create Bubbles of Trust with its Geopolitical Allies

Context: Like air bubbles for international travel during the pandemic, India should create bubbles of trust bilaterally with strategic partners such as US, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Singapore and South Korea.

Focus area to build a trusted partnership (Bubble of Trust):

• Strengthen Geopolitical Convergence: China’s hegemonic behaviour has strengthened convergences among the US, India, Japan and Australia (QUAD) along with Vietnam, Germany, France, and Britain
• Re-thinking Judicial System: in order to ensure companies of other countries are treated fairly, contracts enforced unbiasedly.
• Robust Geo-Economic Ties: It is important to manage dependence on China rather than replacing since China is the largest trading partner for most of Quad members.

• Preferential Trading Agreements is a logical step to strengthen geo-economic ties.

• Easing of immigration policies: by creating an environment of trust with respect to other countries in order to tackle the rising resentment against open immigration policies in developed nations.

• For, E.g. Ageing Japan can tackle demographic shift by importing immigrants from India. However, Indian expatriates must genuinely be productive, loyal, law-abiding and assimilate with the Japanese culture.

Conclusion: The creation and maintenance of bubbles of trust will determine the extent to which Indian businesses and citizens can exploit opportunities in a world where politics heavily influences economics.