Peace, Pragmatism, and Power: India’s Response to Middle Eastern Conflicts in the 21st Century
Author(s): Avinash Chandra & Shubham Mishra
Abstract: This paper explores India’s evolving strategic approach to conflict zones in the Middle East in the 21st century, focusing on how peace, pragmatism, and power define its foreign policy. As regional instability from the Iran-Israel rivalry to the Yemen war and broader Gulf tensions. India has opted for a balanced engagement rooted in strategic autonomy. The core objective of the study is to examine how India navigates competing interests in the Middle East while safeguarding its energy security, diaspora concerns, and global standing. The key argument of this paper is that India’s Middle East policy is marked not by ideological alignment but by interest-based pragmatism, which allows it to engage diplomatically with rival nations (Iran and Israel) while maintaining neutrality. India emphasizes economic diplomacy, cultural outreach, and soft power rather than direct intervention or alignment in regional disputes. Findings suggest that this approach has enhanced India’s credibility as a peace-seeking power, helped preserve regional partnerships, and positioned it as a non-disruptive yet influential player. The paper concludes that India’s Middle East policy reflects a maturing global posture guided by realpolitik, regional balance, and an ambition to act as a stabilizing force in a multipolar world.
Keywords: GCC, IMEC, Strategic Autonomy, De-hyphenation, Delicate Bilateralism, Digital India, Make in India
DOI: doi.org/10.65719/RC.3.2.2025.176
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