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Indian Foreign Affairs Journal

Published in Association with Association of Indian Diplomats

Current Volume: 20 (2025 )

ISSN: 0973-3248

e-ISSN: 2229-5372

Periodicity: Quarterly

Month(s) of Publication: March, June, September & December

Subject: Political Science & International Affairs

DOI: 10.32381/IFAJ

300

Indian Foreign Affairs Journal, a peer reviewed quarterly publication of the Association of Indian Diplomats, attempts to provide an intellectually stimulating forum for the examination of various aspects of India's Foreign Policy. This Examination is undertaken by the experienced decision-makers, serious scholars, and seasoned analysts.

EBSCO
ProQuest
Genamics (JournalSeek)
Indian Citation Index (ICI)

 

Managing Editor
Achal Malhotra

Ambassador (Retd.) and Member,
Executive Committee, Association of Indian Diplomats, New Delhi.


Editor
Abdul Nafey

Professor (Retd.) School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi


Copy Editor
Preeti Singh

Ex-Officio Members
T. C. A. Raghavan

Ambassador (Retd.) and President, Association of Indian Diplomats, New Delhi


Amarendra Khatua

Ambassador (Retd.) and Vice President, Association of Indian Diplomats, New Delhi


Anil Trigunayat

Ambassador (Retd.) and Secretary, Association of Indian Diplomats, New Delhi


A.K Malhotra

Ambassador (Retd.) and Treasurer, Association of Indian Diplomats, New Delhi


Nominated Members
Sachin Chaturvedi

Director General,Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), New Delhi


Sanjay Chaturvedi

Professor of Political Science, Department of Political Science, Panjab University, Chandigarh


Neelam Deo

Former Director, 'Gateway House' Indian Council on Global Relations, Mumbai.


Darvesh Gopal

Former Professor of Political Science, Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi


Arvind Gupta

Director, Vivekananda International Foundation, New Delhi


Rajat Kathuria

Director & Chief Executive, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), New Delhi


G. Gopa Kumar

Vice Chancellor, Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod.


Jayant Prasad

Former Director General, Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi.


P. K. Singh

Former Director, United Services Institution of India, New Delhi.


Nalin Surie

Former Director General, Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi.


International Advisers
David M. Malone

Rector of the United Nations University & Under Secretary General of the United Nations, Tokyo, Japan.


Ong Keng Yong

Executive Deputy Chairman, Director, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.


 T.V. Paul

James McGill Professor of International Relations, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.


Elizabeth Sidiropoulose

National Director, South African Institute of International Affairs, Braamfontein, South Africa.


Peter N Varghese

Chancellor, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.


Research Associate
Hoimi Mukherjee

Volume 20 Issue 1 , (Jan-2025 to Mar-2025)

From the Editors’ Desk

By: ..

Page No : i-iv

Read Now

Lithium Triangle and India’s Energy Transition

By: Aprajita Kashyap

Page No : 1-20

Abstract
As global climate change accelerates, countries face increasing pressure to adopt sustainable energy pathways that reduce carbon emissions while supporting economic growth. For India, the world’s third-largest emitter and a rapidly expanding economy, transitioning to renewable energy and electric mobility is a strategic necessity. Most of the world’s lithium supply is concentrated in the so-called ‘Lithium Triangle,’ which covers Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile. By engaging with this region, India aims to achieve its sustainable energy goals through diversifying sources and building domestic capabilities. This essay, while highlighting the importance of the Lithium Triangle, argues that managing the geopolitics of lithium will be crucial in attaining its clean energy goals, expanding electric mobility, and contributing to global climate efforts.

Author:
Aprajita Kashyap is an Associate Professor in Latin American Studies, Centre for the Study of the Americas, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New, Delhi, India.
 

DOI : https://doi.org/10.32381/IFAJ.2025.20.1.1

Price: 101

India in China’s Worldview

By: Gunjan Singh

Page No : 21-38

Abstract
The year 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of India-China diplomatic relations. New Delhi was one of the first countries to recognise the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and establish relations, in 1950. Both sides also share a 3000-year-long historical and civilisational connection. This historical connection is generally perceived as cooperative and non-confrontational. Recently, in a podcast, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that, ‘there was no “real history of conflicts” between India and China and for centuries, India and China have learnt from each other and understood one another.’
However, the same cannot be said about the two modern nation states. Since the beginning these bilateral relations have been riddled with complications, mis-interpretations, and assumptions about each other. Beijing has generally formed and enacted its policies and actions towards New Delhi based on its perception of how it is placed in the global order. The role of the USA and Russia have been crucial in determining the course of India-China relations.
The other major factor has been China’s domestic politics and vulnerabilities. Most of the India-China border clashes can be rooted in its domestic political concerns. One of the primary factors driving the 1962 War was the Indian position towards Tibet. And, it would not be farfetched to say that the factors for the Galwan Clashes can be found in the COVID-19 pandemic.
These issues raise the question whether the two major geographical neighbours, economic powerhouses, and nuclear powers, have ever interacted with each other in a truly bilateral form. Does India exist as a stand-alone factor in China’s foreign policy and worldview? The border has been a challenge, but does it not also have the potential to push the relationship to a truly bilateral nature. Every time there has been an assertion over the border from the Chinese side, the cause can be perceived as external.
   With this backdrop, the essay below aims to discuss Chinese policy, bilateral as well as global, towards India, especially under Xi Jinping.

Author:
Gunjan Singh is an Associate Professor at Jindal Global Law School, O P Jindal Global University, Sonepat, Haryana, India.
 

DOI : https://doi.org/10.32381/IFAJ.2025.20.1.2

Price: 101

Indian Agri-Tech’s Role in Enhancing Food Security in GCC Countries

By: Shubhda Chaudhary

Page No : 39-58

Abstract
The MENA region is highly vulnerable to climate change, with GCC countries facing unique challenges due to their arid climate and reliance on finite resources. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projects a sea level rise of 29–110 cm by 2100, threatening 24% of coastal GDP and 43 port cities, such as Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Bahrain, which could lose up to 15 km of coastline. The EY MENA Climate Change Readiness Index (CCRI) shows that GCC countries have reduced per capita emissions since 2015, driven by net-zero strategies, carbon capture, and renewables, but adaptation and mitigation strategies vary, with political tensions limiting regional cooperation.
India, with 50% of its workforce in agriculture, is equally vulnerable. From 1901–2018, average temperatures rose 0.7°C, altering growing seasons, with the India Meteorological Department reporting 2025’s February as the hottest in 124 years. India’s agritech sector, valued at a $24 billion opportunity with only 1.5% penetration, offers solutions like precision farming, IoT-enabled irrigation, drones, and heat-tolerant varieties. These innovations can enhance GCC’s local food production, reducing import reliance, critical as food security risks escalate. While specific agri-tech collaborations are not extensively documented in current academic discourse, the India-GCC Joint Action Plan 2024-2028 provides a framework for cooperation in emerging technologies, potentially including agri-tech. The two tables in the Appendix show this. These collaborations are crucial for policy-making, informing strategies for climate-smart agriculture, water-efficient technologies, and transboundary cooperation. Policies could promote joint ventures, incentivise investments in agri-tech, and address non-tariff barriers, enhancing food security and sustainable development. India’s agritech innovations offer significant potential to address GCC’s climate change challenges, with collaborations enhancing food security and informing policy. While specific partnerships are emerging, political and environmental complexities require strategic policy frameworks to maximise impact.

Author:
Shubhda Chaudhary, Founder of Middle East Insights Platform, Ph.D. (JNU), M.A. (University of Westminster, UK).
 

DOI : https://doi.org/10.32381/IFAJ.2025.20.1.3

Price: 101

Pacific Island Countries in India’s Indo-Pacific Strategy: Partners or Game Changers?

By: Shubhamitra Das

Page No : 59-76

Abstract
The Pacific Island Countries (PICs) have gained strategic presence in the Indo-Pacific frame of reference in spite of being known as too small and insignificant to play a meaningful role in international politics. Escalating US-China rivalry and its influence in the Pacific has led the stakeholders of the Indo-Pacific to desire a lucrative, ‘free, open, inclusive, prosperous, and a peaceful Indo-Pacific.’The Pacific, comprising the micro states, scattered island countries, along with Australia and New Zealand, are a vast platform for constructive engagement for India. India’s Indo-Pacific strategy intersects with both the Look-to-Act East Policy and ‘extended neighbourhood’ policy. During the Cold War, the Pacific Rim Countries, especially Australia, New Zealand, and the USA (ANZUS), had fortressed the region from the erstwhile USSR. But China had already entered with aid diplomacy and security pacts that are strewn with secrecy, but showcasing its economic interests which have strategic ramifications have intensified competition. This essay focuses on India’s Indo- Pacific strategy, and its Pacific tilt. The PICs have made it evident that size does not matter in international politics, and have emerged both as strategic partners and game changers.

Author:
Shubhamitra Das is an Associate Professor, Center for Indo-Pacific Studies (CIPS), School of International Studies (SIS), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi.
 

DOI : https://doi.org/10.32381/IFAJ.2025.20.1.4

Price: 101

Oral History Fiji’s Utopian Dream–Collapse of Paradise: A Ringside View (1989–90)

By: V. B. Soni

Page No : 77-85

Author:
Ambassador V. B. Soni to Ambassador Achal Malhotra, Managing Editor.
 

DOI : https://doi.org/10.32381/IFAJ.2025.20.1.5

Price: 101

Book Review
Chaudhary, Dr. Shubhda (2023). Review of the Book Four Crises: Test of Diplomacy by G. S. Iyer. Heritage Publishers. 323 Pages,725 Rupees. ISBN-10: 817026538X. ISBN-13: 978-8170265382.

By: Shubhda Chaudhary

Page No : 86-95

Author:
Shubhda Chaudhary, Founder of Middle East Insights Platform, Ph.D. (JNU), M.A. (University of Westminster, UK)
 

Instruction to the Author

The Indian Foreign Affairs Journal: is a quarterly publication, the first of its type in India. In the context of India emerging as an important player in international affairs, the challenges before its foreign policy have been growing. The issues involved in India's foreign policy call for a larger debate and discussion both within and outside the country. The journal aims to cater to the need to bring in various perspectives on these developments and present policy options to the decision-makers, analysts, and interest groups, in the country.

Manuscript Submission
Manuscripts and all editorial correspondence should be addressed to:
The Editor,
Indian Foreign Affairs Journal,
Sapru House, Barakhamba Road,
New Delhi - 110001,
E-mail: ifajournal@gmail.com

General Guidelines
1. The journal invites contributions on all aspects of India's foreign policy and relations to be considered for publication. Manuscripts and all editorial correspondence should be addressed to: The Editor, Indian Foreign Affairs Journal, Sapru House, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi - 110001, E-mail: ifajournal@gmail.com
2. Affiliations with, complete postal and e-mail address of contributors must be provided along with their papers.
3. Articles should be typed on one side of the paper (preferably A 4) and double-spaced throughout (even for quotations, notes, references), accompanied by a soft copy (identical to the hard copy) in IBM compatible format, preferably in MS Word. (However should the author so wish, the hard copy can be generated at the editorial office).
4. Notes and references should be numbered serially and presented at the end of the article.
5. Use British rather than American spellings.
6. Use double quotes throughout. Single quotes marks used within double quotes. Spellings of words in quotations should not be changed. Quotations of three or more lines should be indented with single space, with a line space above and below.
7. Use 'twentieth century', '1990s'. Spell out numbers from one to ninety-nine, 100 and above to remain in figures. However, for exact measurements use only figures (3 km, 9 per cent not %). Use thousands and millions, not lakhs and crores.
8. Use of italics and diacriticals should be minimized, but used consistently.
9. Tables and figures to be indicated by number separately (see Table 1), not by placement (see Table below). Present each table and figure on a separate sheet of paper, gathering them together at the end of the article.
10. A consolidated alphabetical list of all books, articles, essays, and theses referred to (including referred tables, graphs, and maps) should be provided at the end of the article in double-spacing. All referred articles, books, and theses should be listed in alphabetical order giving the author's surname first followed by initials.

Books: Single Author : Chomsky, Noam. 1999. The New Military Humanism: Lessons from Kosovo. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Books:
Books:More than one Author: Berridge, G. R. and Alan James. 2001. A Dictionary of Diplomacy. New York: Palgrave.
Edited : Singh, Jasjit. ed. 1998. Nuclear India. New Delhi: Knowledge World and IDSA.

Articles:
In Book : Subrahmanyam, K. 1998. 'Indian Nuclear Policy – 1964-98', in Jasjit Singh. ed., Nuclear India, New Delhi: Knowledge World and IDSA, pp. 26-52.
In Journal : Dubey, Muchkund. 2005. 'The Twelfth SAARC Summit: Deeper Integration in South Asia', South Asian Survey, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 21-34.

Internet Sources:
Ganguly, Sumit, 'India's Foreign Policy Grows Up', World Policy Journal, vol. XX, no. 4, Winter 2003/04, [Online: web] Accessed 20 January 2006 URL: http://worldpolicy.org/journal/articles/wpj03-4/ganguly.html
11. Book reviews must contain name of author/editor and the book reviewed, place of publication and publisher, year of publication, number of pages and price.

All the manuscripts submitted for the Indian Foreign Affairs Journal (IFAJ) should accompany a covering letter giving an undertaking following certain principles under Ethical Policy.

The cover letter should include a written statement from the author(s) that:

1. The manuscript is an original research work and has not been published elsewhere including open access at the internet.

2. The data used in the research has not been manipulated, fabricated, or in any other way misrepresented to support the conclusions.

3. No part of the text of the manuscript has been plagiarised.

4. The manuscript is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.

5. The manuscript will not be submitted elsewhere for review while it is still under consideration for publication in the IFAJ.

The cover letter should also include an ethical statement disclosing any conflict of interest that may directly or indirectly impart bias to the research work. Conflict of interest most commonly arises from the source of funding, and therefore, the name(s) of funding agency must be mentioned in the cover letter. In case of no conflict of interest, please include the statement that “the authors declare that they have no conflict of interest”.

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