The Shifting Trajectory of India’s Foreign Policy

Context: The Third India-U.S. 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue between the Foreign and Defence Ministers of India and the U.S. Secretaries of State and Defence highlights the shifting of India’s foreign policy.

Advantages of 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue

• Technology Sharing: With the signing of the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) for Geo-Spatial Cooperation, India is now a signatory to all U.S.­ related foundational military agreements.

• Other agreements include Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), in 2016, and the Communications, Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), in 2018. 
• Bilateral cooperation to a new level: including ‘military to military cooperation, secure communication systems and information sharing, defence trade and industrial issues’ 

Challenges with rising Indo-US partnership

• Impact on India’s strategic autonomy: The two-way exchange of information inbuilt in the foundational agreements might affect the strategic autonomy of India. 
• India not at the centre of partnership: The primary push for getting India to sign the foundational agreements was the threat posed by China, inviting India to an anti-China ‘coalition of willing’.
• Neutrality abandoned: The previous policy of neutrality and of maintaining equidistance from power blocs is being abandoned while an ideologically agnostic attitude is better suited to the prevailing circumstances of today.
• Detached outlook towards the Non-Aligned Movement has led to increasing distance with the African and Latin American group in terms of policy prescription.
• Increased conflicts with China: India’s waving of its objection in relation to QUAD and invitation to Australia for Malabar exercise will further deteriorate relation with China.
• Impact on regional ties: Both China and the U.S are making inroads and enlarging their influence in India’s regional space.
• For, E.g. The Maldives has chosen to enter into a military pact with the U.S. to counter Chinese expansionism in the Indian Ocean region. 
• The latest Israel-U.A.E linkage may adversely affect India’s interest in the region.
• India-Iran ties have already been affected due to U.S sanctions.
• U.S’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and promotion of Taliban militates against India long-held policy of anti-Taliban and support to Northern Alliance in Afghanistan.
• Impact on Indo-Russian links: India-Russia relations in recent years have not been as robust as in the pre-2014 period.
• Russia-China partnership has vastly expanded, and a strategic congruence exists between the two countries. 

Conclusion: While India has been described and the ‘most consequential partner’, challenges in the foreign policy due to increased Indo-US partnership requires deft handling of diplomatic skills.