The contemporary Look East policy, conceived, conceptualized and implemented in the early 1990s first by former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao in the immediate aftermath of the end of the Cold War and in the context of the extraordinary domestic economic challenges confronting the country, had its own contextual rationale, imperative and compulsion. Since then, in the last nearly two decades, it has evolved and acquired its own momentum and, arguably, critical mass to give it a new and greater meaning, relevance, depth and content in the changing context of geo-politics and globalization. Today, many believe, it is a defining partnership among some of the most dynamic and geo-strategically important countries of the world, including those which are the future economic power houses of the Asia-Pacific, impacting not only regional but global equations. The compilation of essays in this volume written by eminent diplomats who, as practitioners and propagators, helped shape and give direction to the Look East policy, contains incisive and in-depth candid accounts of the policy and its evolving complexion.

India's Eastward Engagement: From Antiquity to Act East Policy presents India's engagement with its extended eastern neighbours from ancient times to the present. It argues that this engagement has been long rooted in India's geographical location, its civilizational evolution and historical transformations. The book critically examines all the important phases--Nehru and Post-Nehru periods, and Look East and Act East policies. It exposes the widely entertained myths about India's eastward engagement and also underlines the prospective directions in which the Act East Policy may unfold in the years to come.

This book provides a detailed account of the evolution of India’s Look and Act East Policy, addressing the nuances of the policy and its efficacy for the Northeast Region. The Northeastern India as a region is landlocked, sharing most of its boundary with neighbouring countries of South and South East Asia. It empirically explores the progress in and prospects for trade, investment and connectivity between Northeast India and Southeast Asian countries. Further, it discusses a range of regional and sub-regional multilateral initiatives – e.g. the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM), and Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) – that could potentially strengthen the cooperation between Northeast India and neighboring regions in the social, cultural and economic spheres.

India's 'Act East Policy' has been a significant reorientation in foreign policy towards realizing India's big power ambitions. During the initial years, the focus of the policy was on economic and diplomatic connectivity that cantered around the ASEAN. Since then, the policy has evolved to assume greater strategic dimensions with co-operation in security matters and incremental engagement with countries and regions beyond the ASEAN that include East Asia and the whole of Asia-Pacific. India's plans to become a global power depend to a great extent on its becoming a dominant economic actor, political and strategic player and soft power attraction in East Asia and Asia-Pacific. This region is the most vibrant economic arena and crucial strategic site in international politics presently. The changing geopolitical and strategic realities increasingly necessitate a new regional security architecture in the region. Along with its efforts towards economic integration and diplomatic connectivity, India needs to carve out a role in shaping the security structure of the region to deal with issues of maritime disputes and security. This book is a collection of 7 scholarly papers that d

Following the end of the Cold War, the economic reforms in the early 1990s, and ensuing impressive growth rates, India has emerged as a leading voice in global affairs, particularly on international economic issues. Its domestic market is fast-growing and India is becoming increasingly important to global geo-strategic calculations, at a time when it has been outperforming many other growing economies, and is the only Asian country with the heft to counterbalance China. Indeed, so much is India defined internationally by its economic performance (and challenges) that other dimensions of its internal situation, notably relevant to security, and of its foreign policy have been relatively neglected in the existing literature. This handbook presents an innovative, high profile volume, providing an authoritative and accessible examination and critique of Indian foreign policy. The handbook brings together essays from a global team of leading experts in the field to provide a comprehensive study of the various dimensions of Indian foreign policy.