Economic corridors in Indias security policy : an appraisal

Economic corridors became essential elements of multi-dimensional power rivalry in contemporary international relations. India’s ambitions to play a more significant role in global affairs are marked by increased competition with China, which is pursuing its grand project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and making geoeconomic inroads into South Asia. In such challenging geostrategic realities, it is necessary to investigate India’s security concerns and analyse various competitive initiatives proposed and backed by New Delhi. This chapter theoretically and empirically examines the role of economic corridors in India’s security policy and inter-regional relations in the dynamically changing world order, with a focus on various initiatives, in particular, the International North−South Transport Corridor (INSTC), projected as an alternative to the BRI. Using descriptive analytical methods to cover the relevant subjects of the study, the selected factors driving India’s complex policy with respect to the selected economic corridors and interactions with the main partners and rivals have been examined.