The Neo-Kautiliyan Facet of Modi’s Neighbourhood Policy: A Non-Western Perspective
The Neo-Kautiliyan Facet of Modi’s Neighbourhood Policy: A Non-Western Perspective

Summary/Abstract: Indian experts in South Asia are often haunted by a conventional understanding thatIndia’s policy towards the small states in the region does not alter with a changeof guard. Such understandings specifically hint at the role of the Indian bureaucracy,which is deemed a permanent government and a prominent actor in India’s foreignpolicy decision-making. On the contrary, several claims have been made about howIndia’s foreign policy towards its neighbours has been driven by inconsistencies andad hocism because of the lack of a clear-cut neighbourhood policy. Narendra Modi’sneighbourhood policy is generally interpreted from two conflicting perspectives:either Modi’s neighbourhood policy is a continuity of the tradition, or, if it is not,it is a change. To assess what has been continued under the Modi administrationin dealing with India’s neighbours, and what has been significantly altered, this studyuses a neo-Kautiliyan approach, i.e. an Asiatic term for India’s neorealist approach,which concurrently foregrounds a non-Western perspective. The reason for usingthis approach is the wish to discover how far the securitisation of the Indian foreignpolicy has continued in dealing with small countries. The second objective is toassess how such securitisation has impacted India’s rise, while the third one is tosee to what extent India’s rise has been laden with responsibility towards its smallneighbours while prioritising its security concerns. Methodologically, this study isembedded in literature review; the materials comprise both academic and generaldebates on India’s neighbourhood policy, particularly during the Modi administration.

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