The Effect of Instability in India's Neighbourhood on Its Foreign Policy: An Analytical Study

Instability in India’s immediate neighbourhood has been one of the most influential external factors shaping its foreign policy since independence. Political unrest, economic crises, insurgencies, fragile governance structures, and humanitarian emergencies in neighbouring countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Myanmar have consistently affected India’s strategic thinking and diplomatic behaviour. This article analyses how such instability has compelled India to recalibrate its foreign policy from a largely non-aligned and idealist orientation to a more pragmatic, security-driven, and development-oriented approach. By examining case studies from India’s neighbourhood, the study argues that instability has encouraged India to pursue strategic partnerships, economic diplomacy, regional connectivity, and security cooperation, while simultaneously confronting dilemmas related to sovereignty, intervention, and normative commitments. The article concludes that India’s foreign policy responses to neighbourhood instability reflect a careful balance between realpolitik and normative aspirations, though limitations in resources, institutional coordination, and great power competition continue to pose challenges.