India's vision for the Indo-Pacific and the role of the UAE: The perspective from New Delhi

Abstract

India's growing ambition to become a great power in the Indian Ocean region, its continuous growing power in politics and economy and the competition over influence with its rival state China have forced it to adopt and implement new strategies and policies under the Indo-Pacific vision. Rethinking its foreign policy in recent years, India have been growing its ties with the UAE, a state that is small yet powerful who also have formed strategic partnership with China. India and both resident state powers in the Indian Ocean, have begun to confront similar security challenges. Thus, making both states move beyond just being trade and investment partners. Both have to deal with multiple similar issues such as counterterrorism, piracy, marine environment, and secure supply chains. As a Result, this research explores this partnership and explain the vital strategic role is the UAE playing in the spread of India's influence in the Indo-Pacific region and to what extent is the UAE involved in India's Indo-Pacific policies and strategies. It is based on qualitative data using semi-structured interviews as well as secondary sources, including governmental websites and newspaper articles and critical analysis of factors on the extent and the reason why the UAE have a strategic role in India's vision. Contrary to what have been assumed, the analysis shows that The UAE is not perceived to have a strategic role to play in India's Indo-Pacific policies nor does it currently play any strategic role in India's vision for the Indo-Pacific.

Date of Award	Dec 2021
Original language	American English