ABSTRACT
The Persian Gulf region is significant, not only for its hydrocarbon resources but also for its geographical location, making it a nerve center in global maritime trade, its evolution as an international business hub, and its geostrategic importance in the evolving international order. Therefore, any instability or regional security imbalance sends shockwaves far beyond its shores. India is no stranger to the Gulf. Developments in the Gulf are not merely foreign policy issues in New Delhi; the presence of a large Indian expatriate community in the six GCC countries and Indian dependence on the region for energy security make the Gulf an internal political issue. As the international and regional order is transforming, India has changed the way it perceives the Gulf. The traditional issues of energy security, the safety of the expatriate community, and maritime security continue to inform the Indian approach, but as an emerging power, India has been engaging the region more substantially. The regional tensions and rivalries and foreign policy responses of friendly and competing powers, including the US and China, inform New Delhi’s choices. The conventional wisdom of equidistance from regional blocs and stoic silence on regional matters remain the guiding principle, but with an evolving foreign policy outlook and a fast-changing regional security environment, it may no longer remain the abiding principle.
