Introduction

Indian foreign policy towards the Gulf has seen a tectonic transformation over the past three decades. From its active pursuit of non-alignment during the Cold War to a steadily growing pragmatism in its approach towards the Middle East, contemporary Indian engagement with its western extended neighbourhood has been progressively expanding. India's unprecedented economic development ever since its economic liberalization during the last decade of the twentieth century has seen its gross domestic product (GDP) rise from USD 458.82 billion in 1999 to USD 2.875 trillion in 2019. Consequently, India's growing economic interlinkages with the rest of the world have gradually increased its stakes as well as their associated vulnerabilities. India of the post–Cold War world seeks to position itself as a leading power on the global stage, seeking to be a rule-maker as opposed to a rule-taker away from the idealism of the past.

Accordingly, India's relationship with the countries in the Gulf has evolved since the end of the Cold War with New Delhi's newfound pragmatism forming the foundation of its new partnerships. This evolving international system, India's transforming perception of its role on the global stage, and the resultant implications on New Delhi's relations with the Gulf have been scrutinized by scholars of Indian foreign policy. Researchers have used a variety of theoretical tools from mainstream, constructivist, and critical international relations (IR) theories to help better explain these changes. However, as Robert Cox states that ‘theory is always for someone and for some purpose’, the question of analysis for this chapter is to understand what the implications of the shifts in global and regional distribution of power are for India's foreign policy in the Gulf. To answer this very question, this analysis primarily relies upon theoretical tools drawn from the mainstream IR school of realism with their positivist ontology.

Putting the last three decades into perspective, this chapter proposes that as India's relative material capabilities have increased, so has its tactful diplomatic engagement with the Gulf intensified, transforming its role in the region.