Indian Foreign Policy from Passivity to Active Engagements (An Analysis of India's Response to China's BRI in South Asia)

The paper seeks to trace the development of Indian Foreign Policy over the last decade to argue against the prevalent notions of passivity of Indian foreign policy by analysing the various aspects of India’s foreign policy since the launch of BRI which when seen in totality, establish that India is indeed responding pro-actively to Chinese expansionism. For want of space, the analysis has been limited to South Asia and only the more prominent parts of the response have been dealt with, while acknowledging that it requires lengthier discussions. A study of the major developments in the region show that New Delhi has cautiously but proactively worked towards safeguarding its vital interests in the region, indicating that it has progressed from its traditionally accommodative stance towards China.