Editorial: India's West Asia policy

Notes

• India's historical West Asia policy was defined by 'multi-alignment' and strategic distance, treating the region as an economic hinterland for energy, labor, and remittances.
• The previous policy relied on the US as the primary security guarantor in West Asia, allowing India to maintain a transactional and defensive posture.
• The geopolitical landscape is shifting due to US 'selective engagement' and a resulting security vacuum in the region.
• The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan signals a new security architecture that may run counter to Indian interests.
• Modern economic infrastructure in the Gulf is vulnerable to asymmetric and grey-zone warfare, such as low-cost drone strikes.
• India's reliance on diaspora diplomacy and trade ties is becoming insufficient to protect its energy security and maritime trade routes.
• Proposed policy shift: Transition from a passive beneficiary of regional stability to an active net security provider.
• Strategic recommendations include: projecting hard power in the western Indian Ocean, joint maritime patrols, intelligence sharing, and defence-industrial collaboration with regional partners.

Part of a longer story

This is day 14 of 14 in India's fuel pricing policy and retail market dynamics, which has been running since 28 June 2026. Reading it whole is usually worth more than reading today alone — the exam asks how something developed.

• India's strategy in West Asia Before
• The whole story 14 entries