Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s landslide victory in the general elections in May 2014 provided the potential for creating a broader framework for a bold and assertive foreign policy towards the South Asian region and beyond. In the last 18 months and more, India’s foreign policy challenges and opportunities have undergone change, influenced by rapid developments in the global situation, ranging from rising fundamentalism in West Asia to sharper territorial claims in the East. This has caused the Modi government to adopt a proactive, multi-faceted foreign policy, with a strong emphasis on improving relations with countries in the immediate and extended neighbourhood.

As Prime Minister Modi completes his second year in office, there are several questions that merit elucidation. What will be the Prime Minister’s foreign policy objectives and priorities in 2016? How can he ensure peace and security in India’s immediate neighbourhood, amid myriad domestic economic and political challenges? Looking forward, what are prospects for India’s bilateral relations with Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka? Can PM engage China with a greater sense of confidence on the boundary issue and, at the same time, explore greater economic engagement? Has India been able to deepen her strategic partnership with Russia and Japan? How can PM, Mr Modi maximize India’s policy options in the Gulf and West Asia?

In this context, IDSA will host a panel discussion on the theme ‘Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Foreign Policy: Challenges & Opportunities in Asia’ against the backdrop of the recently released book, Modi and The World: The Ring View Inside Out.

Programme

1500 hrs – Welcome address
1505 hrs onwards – Panel discussion
Chair: Ambassador Jayant Prasad, Director General, IDSA
Panelists: Ambassador Aftab Seth; Prof Alka Acharya; Ambassador P Stobdan; Ambassador Ranjit Gupta
1630 hrs – Question and Answer Session
1645 hrs – Closing Remarks

Chair

Jayant Prasad is Director General, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi. He was India’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Algeria, Nepal, and the UN Conference on Disarmament, Geneva.

Panelists

• Aftab Seth – Former Ambassador of India to Japan and recipient of Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun in November 2015.
• Alka Acharya – Director and Senior Fellow, Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi.
• P Stobdan – Former Ambassador and currently Senior Fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi.
• Ranjit Gupta – Retired Indian Foreign Service officer who served as DCM in Saudi Arabia, Ambassador to Yemen and Oman and Head of the WANA Division in the Ministry of External Affairs.