India’s Look/Act East Policy and the Northeast Region: A Critical Perspective

Hiranya K Nath ,Siddharth Kumar

doi:10.20896/saci.v5i2.265

Hiranya K Nath , Siddharth Kumar

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.20896/saci.v5i2.265

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Abstract

India's Look East Policy (LEP) signifies a strategic shift in its international political, economic, and military relationships. Regional integration of its Northeast Region (NER) with the countries in East, Southeast, and South Asia may potentially generate economic dividends to the region. However, there are formidable challenges in realising the potentials. The proposed infrastructure projects, if completed with no further delay, will go a long way in improving connectivity with the neighbouring countries. However, improving connectivity within the region and with the rest of the country is also very important. Further, it would require a comprehensive long-term plan with well-defined projects for developing industries and services including education, health and tourism. Building infrastructure, ensuring socio-political stability and ecological balance, and improving the quality of institutions would be a major part of this plan.

Highlights

This paper presents a critical assessment of some of the potential gains from and challenges of India’s erstwhile Look East Policy (LEP) and more recent Act East Policy (AEP) for its northeast region (NER)
There has been much euphoria about the benefits that are likely to accrue to Northeast Region (NER) from the successful implementation of LEP/AEP
The facts presented in the tables suggest that if the eastern border via the NER is opened, there is not much in terms of products produced in the region that can be exported to the countries in the East, Southeast and South Asian region

Summary

Introduction

This paper presents a critical assessment of some of the potential gains from and challenges of India’s erstwhile Look East Policy (LEP) and more recent Act East Policy (AEP) for its northeast region (NER). India’s LEP is intended to develop extensive economic and strategic relations primarily with the Southeast Asian countries This policy was formulated and initiated by PV Narasimha Rao’s government in the early 1990s. In the initial phase, the focus of LEP was on economic diplomacy in order to create and expand regional markets for trade, investments, and industrial development, it gradually put increasing emphasis on strategic and security cooperation and revival of historic cultural and ideological links in the subsequent phases of LEP.. The facts presented in the tables suggest that if the eastern border via the NER is opened, there is not much in terms of products produced in the region that can be exported to the countries in the East, Southeast and South Asian region. 14 These figures are obtained from a report “India's crude oil refining capacity: a snapshot” published in Business Standard on February 20, 2016 (http://www.businesss ta nda rd.com/a rti cl e/economy -pol i cy/i ndi a -s -crude-oi l refi ni ng-ca pa ci ty-a -s na ps hot-116022000047_1.html , accessed on Friday, September 1, 2017)

11 Vietnam

10 Iron And Steel

Findings

Conclusion