Diplomatist Magazine Diplomatist January 2019 | Page 20

IN FOCUS
EMERGING
CHALLENGES AND
OPPORTUNITIES FOR
INDIA’S FOREIGN
POLICY!
India needs to overcome its
persisting inability to integrate the
avenues of trade, technology, and
investment into a coherent foreign
policy formulation.
BY PROF. (DR.) SUDHANSHU TRIPATHI*
T
here have been some prominent shifts in the world
in the preceding decades which are leading towards
gradual unfolding of a new world order in the coming
times. And that may determine the emerging competitive
tech-nationalism as well as tech-ecosystems in the civilian
and military sectors. In this scenario, as increasingly rival
tech systems will not cooperate with each other - in the AI
or 5G domain - one can choose either Ericsson or Huawei,
but can’t do both. While the US and China do not see each
other eye to eye on many issues of common concerns like
international trade and environment or terrorism etc, the
marketing of technology including environmental protection
technology on nationalist lines is now a grave threat to the
peace and security of the whole world.
The eff ects of all these developments for India’s foreign
policy will gradually become brighter with each passing day.
It is in this context, the year 2018 has been marked by some
powerful changes for India, which pose grave challenges
as well as off er good prospects. While India took a decisive
shift to embrace Indo-Pacifi c from the erstwhile Asia-Pacifi c,
described as a new cohesive strategic space - as a policy
as well as a strategy, this step has now proved to be very
signifi cant for New Delhi as regards bringing uniformity and
consistency in its recent policy initiatives in the entire region
and in other parts of the world as well.
If ASEAN states in Southeast Asia to the sovereign
countries in the Asia-Pacifi c ask India to play the decisive
role of a net security-provider in this region, given its
20 • Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 7 • Issue 1 • January 2019, Noida