As he reinforces India’s influence felt across Asia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is injecting new momentum into India’s “look East” policy. The Indian leader has travelled extensively across the region over the last six months, clinching business deals, attracting much-needed investments and building strategic alliances with key Asian nations. Japan, China and ASEAN have received special attention but Modi is also widening his outreach to include Australia. India participates in both the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum, the region’s key security fora. Clearly hoping to benefit from Asia’s economic dynamism, India has signed a free trade agreement in goods with ASEAN and trade with both China and Japan is rising amid hopes that both countries will also step up their investments in India’s infrastructure. The policy seems to be paying off. China has said it intends to invest $100 billion in India over the next five years while Japan has announced plans to invest $37 billion in the coming years. Greater engagement with immediate neighbours is also a priority although relations with Pakistan, India’s traditional adversary remain difficult. But behind the visits and the statements, is there substance behind the “look east” approach? Is India also “acting East” as promised by key ministers? Beyond trade, is India also ready and willing to address regional security concerns? What is the role of the Indian private sector in promoting India’s “pivot” to Asia? Does the re-energised “look East” policy leave any space for upgrading India’s relations with the European Union? Can plans for an EU-India Free Trade Agreement be revived and if so, how can this be engineered?
Speakers
Maria Castillo Fernandez
Head of Division, India, Nepal, Bhutan at the European External Action Service (EEAS)
Poonam Kumar
Chairperson at Mega Ace Consultancy
Shishir Kumar Bajoria
Chairman of the IFGL Group, India
