International and Security Studies. Opladen: Verlag Barbara Budrich, 2022. US$95.00, paper, free ebook. ISBN 9783847424741
The emergence of Indo-Pacific as the new theatre of world politics is one of the most significant developments of the present century, inviting greater attention and interest of scholars of foreign policy and international relations (IR). Aditi Malhotra’s book is a meaningful work on the subject dedicated to an in-depth analysis of India’s security posture in the Indo-Pacific through a vivid explication of its foreign policy towards Southeast Asia, East Asia, and the major powers in the region. While the region is often called a geopolitical construct and the dynamics of the region are still fluid, India’s strategic posture as well as political and economic engagement the region’s affairs have expanded multi-fold. Given the increased significance of the region in contemporary world politics, the meanings that significant players attach to their and others’ roles are crucial in understanding their foreign and security policy.
Divided into seven chapters, India in the Indo-Pacific offers a fresh perspective and valuable insight towards understanding India’s foreign policy posture, in general, and presents a strategic approach towards SEA and EA, in particular, through the conceptual lens of role theory. Malhotra argues that much of the existing work on India’s foreign policy either rests on explaining specific policies through the realist lens of the balance of power in material terms, or as attempts to employ the constructivist lens that focuses on ideational dimensions but lacks an adequate analysis of state agency. Both perspectives fall short of providing a holistic explanation of foreign policy behaviour, particularly of India’s developing states. Highlighting the merits of role theory—which has evolved significantly over the past decades in IR as a conceptual framework—the author employs foreign policy analyses, the conceptual categories of role conception (RC), role prescription, role performance, role conflict (inter and intra), and conception-performance gap to explain India’s policy orientation towards SEA and EA since independence.
The book’s first two chapters coherently set the tone by discussing the idea of the Indo-Pacific in IR and the emergence of India as one of the important players in the region. Malhotra’s emphasis on the merits of role theory as an alternative to the realist hegemony of understanding state behaviour through a Western/great power lens is noteworthy. She writes: “By sticking to select preconceived roles (in this case the balancer) that emanate from the expanse of American literature, scholars tend to snatch away any Indian agency in defining its behaviour” (44).
India’s several role conceptualizations from the early years of independence until the late 1990s—ranging from a Non-Aligned Asian Power and Peacemaker to a Subcontinental Power and Security-Seeker and Emerging Economic Actor and Benign Power—are analyzed in the third chapter.Malhotraargues that India’s relationship with SEA and EA, rather than the distance, mistrust, and ambiguity the latter harboured, is correlated to these RCs of India which initially focused on the superpowers, and then on the South Asian subcontinent. It was only towards the end of the Cold War and the subsequent economic roles which both parties came to acquire, that they worked towards improving relationships.The subsequent chapter presents an enriching explanation of India’s role evolution over the next 20 years—from being a benign power to becoming of a major power (2002) and a leading power (2015). Malhotra underscores that these roles have been security relevant emanating from India’s greater economic success and confidence due to its nuclear capabilities, and placed itself “as a net security provider and stakeholder in the Indo-Pacific” (130) by expanding its focus to SEA, EA, and Australia. These arguments cogently bring out the correlation between India’s RCs and foreign and security policy behaviour (performance) as well as the gaps therein.
Chapters 5 and 6 constitute the theoretical pillars of the book with their focus on the domestic (self-conception) and external (role prescription) determinants of India’s RC. The explanation brings together theoretical insights and empirical evidence, conventional factors, and newer determinants like economic potential, naval build-up, and concerns like “gun vs. butter” and sub-national agencies’ contestations in determining self-conceptualization domestically. The external determinants are dealt with equally rigorous analysis expectations by India of all the major regional actors, including the US, China, Japan, and the ASEAN nations, with specific focus on Vietnam. The last chapter, rather than providing concluding remarks, reads more like a self-directed book review, presenting the study’s major takeaways, the contributions it makes towards the subject, cohesive summaries of the various chapters and concepts, the work’s theoretical and empirical implications, recommendations for policy action, and the limitations of the work and scope of future research.
Overall, India in the Indo-Pacific covers a vast canvas with equal intensity and rigor explaining different phases in India’s foreign policy evolution, along with a careful emphasis on both internal and external factors leading to the conceptualization of particular roles and a sound methodology of interpretative content analysis. The author’s explanations equip the reader with a comprehensive and layered understanding of India’s policy approach in the Indo-Pacific that systematically factors in material and ideational components as well as multiple levels of analysis embedded within the conceptual framework of role theory.
The limitations can be attributed to the fact that role theory and any interpretative analysis of documents and speeches which enable systematic and in-depth descriptions remain wanting of meta-theoretical principles that can be subjected to hypothesis-testing. Notwithstanding, the volume opens up scope for future research based on innovative methodological tools that gauge the interplay of multi-level factors in foreign policy analysis that can contribute towards building foreign policy theory. The book certainly will be of value to scholars and researchers of foreign policy and IR, academics, policy makers, diplomats, and anyone who is interested in understanding India’s foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific.
Shailza Singh
Bharati College, University of Delhi, New Delhi