Shifting Alignments in India’s Southeast Asia Policies
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24233148 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Intan Zurina Dollah (National University of Malaysia), Mohd Kamarulnizam Abdullah (National University of Malaysia) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 129 |
| Publication date | 2026-10-09 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | JAS (Journal of ASEAN Studies) (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2338-1353 • E-ISSN: 2338-1361 |
| Publisher | Universitas Bina Nusantara (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.21512/jas.v14i1.14219 |
| OpenAlex | W7221147828 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 46 |
Drawing on historical and contemporary sources, this research argued that India’s policies toward Southeast Asia have been shaped by the interplay of three primary drivers: security maximization, economic maximization, and power maximization. The dominance of one driver or a combination of drivers varies across temporal phases, producing shifting alignments in India’s policy orientation and its regional engagement with Southeast Asia. This research applied neo-classical realism to examine the evolution of India’s foreign policy towards Southeast Asia from the Cold War through the post-Cold War period. This research used qualitative methods and process tracing to trace historical progression and debates that show a non-linear pattern in India’s policy path towards Southeast Asia. While India’s policy during the Cold War period demonstrated an interplay among the three drivers, this shifted in the later Cold War period, when security maximization became more prominent. After the Cold War, economic maximization became more dominant as India sought deeper institutional and economic engagement with Southeast Asia, reflected in the Look East Policy. The Act East Policy, which was subsequently launched under India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, further broadened this engagement to encompass stronger security and power considerations. The research further finds that India’s shifting alignments are influenced not only by structural international pressures but also by domestic political considerations, including elite legitimation shaped by material and ideational factors.
Act East Policy · Cold war · elite legitimation · Look East Policy · Narendra Modi · neoclassical realism · post-Cold War · power maximization · regional participation · Global Political and Economic Relations · International Relations and Foreign Policy · South Asian Studies and Conflicts
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Assuaging Cold War Anxieties
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Systemic pressures and domestic ideas
Dephasing India's Look East/Act East Policy
From Delhi to Bandung
India and Asean
India and Its Foreign Policy
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India’s Act East Policy and Asean
Kampuchea
The Domino Theory
India and Vietnam
Neoclassical Realism and Theories of Foreign Policy
Rhetoric, Legitimation, and Grand Strategy
The 'Indianization' of Southeast Asia
Understanding Process Tracing
Hedley Bull and his contribution to international relations
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| Highly cited | No |
|---|