Opinion In West Asia, India’s diplomacy has delivered dramatic gains
Perhaps the most striking change is political. Countries that once viewed India through the prism of Pakistan — such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE — now see New Delhi as a long-term strategic partner
This shift is the result of sustained political entrepreneurship, strategic clarity, and diplomatic energy displayed by PM Modi since 2014. When India signed a landmark economic partnership agreement with Oman on December 18, it signalled how decisively India’s Middle East policy has been transformed under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Offering zero-duty access on over 98 per cent of its tariff lines for Indian exports, Oman has entered its first bilateral trade agreement since 2006.
This shift is the result of sustained political entrepreneurship, strategic clarity, and diplomatic energy displayed by PM Modi since 2014. He connected the region to India’s larger civilisational, economic, and strategic canvas. The “Think West” policy became a defining feature of India’s foreign relations. Engagement expanded beyond the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states to include Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, and North African and African Muslim-majority countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, and Ethiopia. This outreach capitalised on a shifting Arab perception of India’s economic strength and rising global stature.
India’s share in GCC trade rose from 3 per cent in 1992 to 11 per cent by 2012, and has accelerated further over the past decade. By 2020, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were India’s third- and fourth-largest trading partners. In 2023-24, India’s trade with the GCC touched $184 billion, while FDI from Gulf countries crossed $20 billion. This economic deepening has gone hand in hand with strategic realism. The Modi government has been forthright about concerns over China’s expanding naval and port footprint in the region. In response, India has positioned itself as a net security provider — deploying naval assets to protect sea lanes from piracy and missile threats, while conducting joint military exercises with partners such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.
What distinguishes Modi’s West Asia policy is the centrality of personal diplomacy. No Indian leader has invested as much time or political capital in the region. Modi has visited nine Middle Eastern states since 2014, more than his four predecessors combined. This goodwill has delivered tangible outcomes, whether in the de-hyphenation of India and Pakistan in Gulf diplomacy, the toning down of criticism over Kashmir, or the release of Indian naval veterans from Qatar through leader-level engagement. India’s diaspora has also benefited. Their safety, dignity, and welfare have become integral to India’s regional diplomacy, reinforcing the mutual dependence between India and the Arab world.
Perhaps the most striking change is political. Countries that once viewed India through the prism of Pakistan — such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE — now see New Delhi as a long-term strategic partner. Investments announced soon after India’s 2019 Kashmir decision, and the UAE declaring that it viewed the matter as India’s internal affair, reflected a shift in regional calculations.
India today is not neglected by any Persian Gulf state. It is courted, respected, and trusted. Few of India’s external relationships have changed so dramatically in such a short time. That transformation bears the unmistakable imprint of PM Modi’s leadership — and it has firmly placed India at the heart of West Asia’s evolving strategic landscape.
The writer is chairperson of the Delhi State Hajj Committee and a member of the BJP
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