“India’s relations with the Gulf countries have evolved from energy dependence to strategic partnership.” Discuss.

India’s connection with the Gulf region was mainly because India needed oil and gas from the Gulf region. Now India’s relationship with the Gulf region is more than that. The Gulf region and India have a partnership that includes many things like money, safety and the Gulf region and India’s position in the world. India and the Gulf region work together on these things.

From Energy Dependence to Strategic Engagement

India’s relationship with Gulf countries was simple at first. India needed oil from these countries to help India’s economy grow. Getting a supply of oil was the main thing India was worried about. India did not have much to do with Gulf countries in terms of politics. Working together on big issues. India’s main goal was to get the energy India needed from Gulf countries.

Emerging Strategic Dimensions

In the few years India and the Gulf region have been working together on defence and security matters. They have been doing things like military exercises and sharing intelligence to fight against terrorism. This shows that they really trust each other. The Gulf region is very important for India because it is a route for oil and gas and many Indians live and work there so it is crucial that the Gulf region remains stable for the safety of these Indians and for India’s energy needs.

Economic and Diaspora Linkages

• People from India and other countries are getting to know each other because of trade diversification and infrastructure investments. 
• A lot of Indians are living in countries, which is also helping to make the relationship between the two countries stronger. When people send money back to their home country this is called remittances and when they can easily move to another country to work this is called labour mobility. 
• These things are making the partnership between the two countries even deeper. The Indian diaspora is really big. This is playing a big role in making the people-, to-people ties stronger.
• Thus, India–Gulf relations have transformed into a multi-dimensional strategic partnership, aligning with India’s goals of strategic autonomy, regional stability, and economic diplomacy.

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About the Author: Jyoti Verma