As the western state stood proof of his vision, India made a decision to end the Gandhi-led UPA's corrupt rule. The former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) member's rise to power will forever remain etched in the history of Indian politics. When Modi's government was sworn in, there wasn't a lot of expectation with their foreign policy featuring on the agenda. If his campaign was to be believed, all priorities were expected to be domestic. However, Modi's foreign dealings came as a surprise to the nation, as he began to rekindle some forgotten fires. A person fond of “bold moves”, Modi gave the first shocker, when he called his counterparts from all SAARC countries, to participate in his oath-taking ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi. The move was seen as the PM's way of starting off the 'Neighbourhod First' policy.
In the last four years, Modi government has performed extremely well in the area of foreign policy. While critics see his travels and bilateral meets only as a vacation, the truth of the matter is, the leader has expressed Indian interests in a way that was not anticipated by any one. Despite his lack of experience on the matter, he has definitely raised India to an upper level in the global platform. His frequent travels became fodder to internet trolls. The Opposition said the subsequent changes were merely of style, and not substance. However, as the renewed foreign policies begin to show its effect, one can see just how well other governments are responding to Indian diplomacy. Even his critics will begrudgingly admit that the Modi government has unashamedly changed India's foreign policy trajectory.
The earlier shyness of expressing the country's needs for stronger Indo-US ties are gone. India's relation with Israel has clearly resurfaced from the ground, and the biggest change is that India now stands tall in confronting China, instead of the dragon challenging New Delhi. Economist Rajiv Kumar, also author of 'Modi and his Challenges', had last year said, “He began his foreign policy stint, as it were, in good faith and then suddenly realised that the world is not such a good place out there. Where I think Prime Minister Modi has made a very big difference is that he has linked foreign policy directly to India's economic interests.”
Modi and the West
Modi started off his tenure remarkably with a memorable event focused on the Indian diaspora at the Madison Square Garden, New York, in September 2014. From a chief minister whose visa was blocked by the US, Modi went on to become one of former US president Barack Obama's closest allies. Describing his relation with the US, an analyst said, “India has come a long way from its wariness of the US. Earlier governments get some credit, but Modi has re-pivoted India's foreign policy in just a few years.”
It is true that current President Donald Trump hasn't really started off on a great footing. And even though Modi and Trump are yet to meet, a push from New Delhi is expected as India's relationship with the US will be a more transactional relationship than a kind of personal bond. There is a definite shift in the approach towards India's diplomatic outreach to the States. Former India economist at the US Department of Treasury, Shailesh Kumar said, “There is an important foreign policy shift taking place under Prime Minister Modi. One based on realpolitik where his administration is taking a realist approach towards relations, and working with those who can benefit India.”
Modi has been selling India like nobody's business, and no, it is NOT a bad thing. When German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited in 2015, both the countries signed a $2.25 billion deal for solar and clean energy. The sector has found a strong backing from the Modi government. India has a multi-billion-dollar deal to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets with France. The purchase was left in the loop since 2012, and is the biggest order of fighter jets for the Indian Air Force in over two decades. British Prime Minister Theresa May landed in New Delhi in the November of 2016, her first bilateral trip after assuming office, and she did her best to bolster trade ties. Modi's approach has gotten other countries to consider India in a different light.
Asia First
Asia-Pacific chief economist at IHS Markit, Rajiv Biswas says, “Prime Minister Modi has significantly lifted India's foreign policy strategy towards engaging with Asian economies, and has achieved notable success in strengthening bilateral economic and strategic relations with Japan, a key long-term partner for India.” The PM has traveled to Australia, China, Japan, Laos, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Fiji since he assumed office. India has two major weights on its head too. China and Pakistan, both prove to be timeless causes of stress for the Indian nation and despite Xi Jinping's visit to India, Modi's visit to Beijing, Nawaz Sharif's fond words for Modi, and Modi's surprise visit to meet Sharif, Modi is unable to turn the relation around.
“On China, it's a bit complicated. Engagement does not seem to be doing well, but that is not because of poor policy management, but rather (due to) India's very public concerns with China's investments in the region. Those issues appear to take priority over all other forms of engagement,” an analyst said. Case in point, Beijing's One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative, hasn't gone down well New Delhi's throat. India decided to not be a part of the project as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor passes through PoK (Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is definitely a headache to Indian policymakers as it gives both, Pakistan and China a strategic advantage over the sensitive region of Kashmir.
NaMo's international “marketing” goes way beyond Asia and the US. He has substantially improved relations with the Middle East. Quick to realise that the region plays an important role in the Indian economy, given it supplies over two third of India's total oil import, Modi took to the Gulf, or the West Asia as the Indian External Affairs Ministry calls it, to boost ties with the royals.
A paakko businessman, Modi, in his one entire term of office, has created waves in the otherwise stagnant life of the country.
