INDIA-EURASIA

INDIA-EURASIA

Importance of Eurasia for India

1. Resource Richness: Eurasia has abundant natural resources, especially energy resources, which are vital for India’s economic growth and energy security.
2. Economic Growth: The region is crucial for India’s goal to become an economic hub, connecting various parts of Asia and West Asia.
3. Geopolitical Strategy: Eurasia is interested in reducing dependence on Russia, China, and the US. This provides India with an opportunity to increase its influence.
4. Tourism Growth: Eurasia holds potential for boosting tourism between the regions. India could benefit by developing infrastructure to attract Eurasian tourists.
5. Pharmaceutical Sector: India’s medical industry can expand by establishing hospitals and clinics in Eurasia, potentially creating a healthcare network across Central Asia.
6. Construction Industry: Indian companies can play a role in construction projects within Central Asian nations like Kazakhstan, which has abundant resources and cheap electricity.

Challenges in Eurasia

1. Persistent problem with Pakistan: Pakistan’s reluctance to engage with India on Afghanistan reveals Delhi’s challenges & the urgency in shaping a new Eurasian strategy.
2. Geographical limitedness: the geographic limitation represented by Pakistan is central to an expanded Indian role in Eurasian geopolitics.
3. Unclear meaning of Eurasia: There is no shared international understanding of what constitutes the Eurasia region.

• In geographical terms, Eurasia is the name of a tectonic plate that lies under much of what we know as Europe and Asia.

• In Russia’s definition, Eurasia covers the former territories of the Soviet Union, which collapsed in 1991.
• Given the deep connection between Muslim Central Asia and West Asia, some prefer the term “Greater Middle East” to describe parts of this region.
• For India, it makes sense to use the broadest possible definition of Eurasia in reimagining the region.

1. China’s dramatic rise: China asserts deep influence in the region due to its long borders. China has grown more aggressive in recent times as the region is central to its BRI project which extends till Atlantic Coast of Europe. Moreover, Russia’s differences with the West has brought China and Russia closer.
2. Russian centrality in Eurasian geopolitics: Each of the current crises in Belarus, Ukraine, the Caucasus, and Kazakhstan might have a specific logic and trajectory of its own, but together they are reshaping the geopolitics of Eurasia.
3. US rethink of its strategic commitments to Eurasia: The US withdrawal from Afghanistan is just the beginning of a long-overdue redefinition of US global strategic priorities. US and EU are now trying to rebalance the trans-Atlantic responsibilities for Europe’s collective defence.
4. Europe impotency: Europe has long depended on USA in its defence matter and has less power to have influence in the region due to which they are not able to make concrete efforts to balance both China and Russia in the region.

Way Forward

1. Geo-Economic Cooperation: India can work with EU nations to engage Eurasia from economic and security perspectives, leveraging Indo-Pacific narratives and promoting regional development.
2. Greater Engagement with EU and NATO: India’s Eurasian policy should involve closer ties with both the EU and NATO. Establishing a military liaison in Brussels, where both organizations are headquartered, could strengthen security cooperation with Europe.
3. Central Asia’s Role: Central Asia serves as a buffer against Chinese maritime influence, making it easier for India to counterbalance China’s long-term goals in Eurasia.
4. India-Russia Dialogues on Security: Despite differences over the Indo-Pacific and Afghanistan, India and Russia can collaborate on Eurasian security issues to counterbalance other influences in the region.
5. Geographic Limitations: India needs to address the geographic limitations posed by Pakistan, which impedes direct access to Eurasia.
6. Collaboration with Iran and the Arab World: Iran is vital for connectivity, while Arab nations are critical due to religious influence. Both regions can help India counter the Turkey-Pakistan alliance in Eurasia.
7. Improving Connectivity: India should boost connectivity with Eurasia without direct confrontation with China’s BRI. Collaborating on projects like Russia’s “Greater Eurasian” corridor can open up new access routes.