ABSTRACT
India's economic, energy and diasporic interests in the Gulf give it a major stake in security and stability of Gulf states. India has wide-ranging and significant economic, political and strategic interests in the Gulf. Despite changing perspectives and growing material capabilities, some ideological factors continue to constrain India's security role in the Persian Gulf. India's relationship with the Gulf has many potentially complicating factors, and one significant factor is the rivalry between the Gulf states and Iran. Indian exports to Saudi Arabia and Oman are dominated by refined petroleum which is re-exported by India to the Gulf after processing, while gems and jewellery dominate the Indian export basket to the United Arab Emirates. The United States, as the predominant military power in the Persian Gulf, is pivotal to the development of India's security role in the region. China is becoming an important factor in India's calculations about the Gulf.
