UPSC Editorial Analysis: India’s Strategic Convergence of ‘Neighbourhood First’ and ‘Act East’ Policies

General Studies-2; Topic: India and its neighbourhood- relations.

Introduction

• PM Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Thailand for the BIMSTEC summit symbolizes a high-level political push to align India’s regional outreach with its core foreign policy doctrines: Neighbourhood First and Act East.
• This convergence highlights India’s pursuit of regional integration, strategic autonomy, and a rules-based Indo-Pacific order.

Bay of Bengal: Pivot of Maritime and Geostrategic Policy

• The Bay of Bengal serves as a geopolitical lynchpin, connecting the Indian Ocean to the Pacific via the Malacca Strait, a global trade chokepoint.
• India’s eastern ports (Kolkata, Visakhapatnam, Chennai) are heavily reliant on secure sea lanes for trade and energy supplies.
• The Andaman and Nicobar Islands act as strategic sentinels, enabling maritime surveillance and force projection across Southeast Asia.

Strengthening Regional Maritime Security

• India’s Indo-Pacific maritime doctrine is reinforced through:
  • Quad framework (India, US, Japan, Australia) promoting a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP).
  • SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) initiative that focuses on cooperative security.
  • Malabar naval exercises and maritime dialogues with BIMSTEC and ASEAN nations.
• Maritime challenges include:
  • China’s expanding naval presence.
  • Threats from piracy, illegal fishing, and climate-induced sea-level rise.

BIMSTEC: A Revival in Regionalism

• Established in 1997, BIMSTEC links South and Southeast Asia—bridging SAARC’s limitations and ASEAN’s eastward framework.
• The group promotes:
  • Trade, technology, and energy cooperation.
  • Disaster resilience, counter-terrorism, and connectivity.
• With Pakistan’s obstructionism hampering SAARC, BIMSTEC emerges as a viable alternative for regional diplomacy.

ASEAN Linkages via Myanmar and Thailand

• Myanmar and Thailand, as ASEAN members, enhance India’s eastward diplomatic bandwidth.
• This reflects India’s commitment to principled multilateralism and ASEAN centrality in its Indo-Pacific strategy.

India’s Northeastern States: From Borderlands to Growth Corridors

• The Act East Policy integrates Northeast India as a strategic fulcrum:
  • Shift from periphery to economic gateway to Southeast Asia.
  • Major transformation under PM Modi:
    • ₹5 lakh crore+ invested in capital expenditure in past decade.
    • Integrated road-rail-air infrastructure developed:
      • IMT Trilateral Highway (India–Myanmar–Thailand).
      • Trans Arunachal Highway, Kaladan Multimodal Project, and expanded rail/electricity grids.
• Border connectivity improved through:
  • Underwater tunnels, all-weather roads (PM Gram Sadak Yojana), and UDAN air routes.
  • Vibrant Villages Programme promotes livelihood and security in border zones like Arunachal and Sikkim.

Conflict Resolution and Governance Reforms in Northeast

• Strategic peacebuilding initiatives:
  • 2015 NSCN peace accord in Nagaland marked a turning point in resolving insurgency.
  • Increased political representation and administrative decentralization.
• Focus on inclusive development and trust-building:
  • Skill development, organic farming, local entrepreneurship (e.g., Sikkim’s organic state model).
  • Emphasis on ecological conservation, balancing growth with sustainability.

BIMSTEC 2024 Summit Highlights

• Focus on Vision 2030, outlining sustainable and equitable regional development.
• PM Modi’s 21-point action plan includes:
  • Joint disaster response (e.g., Myanmar-Thailand earthquake cooperation).
  • Collaboration in space tech and IT.
  • Cross-border transport and connectivity agreements.

BIMSTEC’s Economic Potential and India’s Trade Strategy

• BIMSTEC region represents:
  • 1.7 billion people (~22% of global population).
  • Combined GDP of over $3.6 trillion.
• Opportunities for India:
  • Diversify trade routes and reduce dependence on congested northern corridors.
  • Promote coastal shipping and inland waterways as low-carbon trade infrastructure.
  • Strengthen India’s export resilience through value chains in textiles, electronics, and pharmaceuticals.

India’s Vision for Regional Order

• India promotes a rules-based regional architecture, rejecting bloc politics and coercive infrastructure diplomacy.
• BIMSTEC, under India’s stewardship, can:
  • Serve as a model of functional multilateralism.
  • Provide counterweight to China’s BRI by focusing on transparent and sustainable connectivity.
  • Enable South-Southeast Asia economic integration aligned with India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).

Conclusion

• India’s internal transformation (Northeast) and external engagements (BIMSTEC, Act East) form a synergistic strategy.
• The summit reinforced India’s role as a leading power in the Indo-Pacific and a steadfast neighbour in a volatile region.
• As challenges mount—China’s assertiveness, climate risks, and economic volatility—India’s calibrated diplomacy via BIMSTEC offers a resilient model for regionalism and collective growth.