India’s Neighborhood Strategy Takes Center Stage as Rabi Lamichhane Calls for Enhanced Regional Connectivity

The article positions India’s regional engagement as a central pillar of its foreign policy. It states that the United States, China, and European countries, including the United Kingdom, are unlikely to reduce what it describes as anti-India influence operations in the Indian subcontinent. Against this backdrop, it asserts that the Narendra Modi government has pursued a strategy of deeper engagement with neighbouring countries, excluding Pakistan, which remains outside diplomatic outreach due to unresolved cross-border terrorism concerns attributed to Rawalpindi.

The piece further notes India’s renewed engagement with Myanmar, including arrangements involving President U Min Aung Hlaing, and suggests that this approach is intended to secure India’s northeastern region from insurgent activity allegedly operating across Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh.

Since assuming office in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently promoted closer ties with Nepal, with the article stating his objective of advancing economic integration to ensure Nepal’s development alongside India. It adds that the Ministry of External Affairs has been directed to prioritize neighbourhood diplomacy, emphasizing that India’s global standing is closely linked to stable and robust relations within South Asia.

On Pakistan, the article reiterates India’s position that engagement will remain suspended until cross-border terrorism is addressed. Regarding China, it notes that India’s bilateral interactions are described as contingent upon peace and tranquility along the 3,488-kilometre Line of Actual Control. It also references concerns raised in the article over China’s inclusion of Jammu and Kashmir in a joint statement during Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Beijing, characterizing this as part of broader geopolitical pressure on India.

The article further discusses India’s strategic focus on Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, while acknowledging the complex political dynamics in Bangladesh and Nepal due to balancing relations between major global powers. It states that India continues to extend economic assistance to the Maldives despite its leadership coming to power on an anti-India platform, and emphasizes infrastructure cooperation across the region.

It also argues for proactive diplomatic engagement with Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar through the appointment of envoys empowered to strengthen bilateral ties. The piece references political developments in Bangladesh, including the removal of Sheikh Hasina, as an example of rapidly changing regional dynamics influenced by external powers.

The article concludes by describing India’s neighbourhood-first approach as a form of informal diplomacy, referred to as “Tea diplomacy,” where regional leaders can engage in direct, flexible dialogue. It asserts that strengthening ties with neighbouring countries remains central to India’s national interest and regional strategy.