Neighbourhood First Policy

• India’s ‘Neighbourhood First policy’ guides its approach towards the management of relations with countries in its immediate neighbourhood, that is, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. 
• The Neighbourhood First policy, inter alia, is aimed at enhancing physical, digital and people to people connectivity across the region, as well as augmenting trade and commerce. 
• This policy has evolved into an institutional priority for all the relevant arms of the Government managing relations and policies with our neighbourhood.

Act East Policy

• With the objective to further strengthen ties with countries of the Southeast Asian region, India’s ‘Look East Policy’ launched in 1992, was upgraded to the ‘Act East Policy’ in 2014, with proactive and pragmatic focus on the extended neighbourhood in the Indo-Pacific region. 
• The objective of India’s Act East Policy is to promote economic cooperation, cultural ties and developing strategic relationships with countries in the Indo-Pacific region. 
• The ‘Act East Policy’ recognizes connectivity, in its broadest sense, as the key for growth and prosperity of the region, which includes physical, digital, economic, and people-to-people movement. 
• India’s relationship with the Association of South-East Nations (ASEAN) is at the core of India’s ‘Act East Policy’. 
• Further, along with strengthening bilateral ties with the countries of the region, India has also enhanced its engagement in various multilateral and plurilateral institutions in the region, such as, ASEAN, East Asia Summit, ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting plus, ASEAN Regional Forum, Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum, Indian Ocean Rim Association, Indian Ocean Commission, Indian Ocean Naval Symposium, QUAD, among others.

Think West Policy

• India’s outreach to the Gulf and West Asian countries has become an increasingly important pillar of its foreign policy. 
• This region has traditionally been important for India’s energy security. The welfare of the Indian Diaspora in the region is also a high priority. 
• Under the ‘Think West Policy’, India’s ties with these countries have moved beyond conventional areas of cooperation.  
• Relations with countries in West Asia have continued to deepen through sustained high-level visits, increased trade and investment and strengthening of relations in areas including energy, security, defence, culture, education, health, and enhanced investments.

Connect Central Asia Policy

• The ‘Connect Central Asia Policy’ envisages a deep, meaningful and sustained engagement with the Central Asian region. 
• This has been implemented by the continuous efforts taken in this direction, in particular, the institutionalization of the ‘India-Central Asia Summit’ mechanism.
• The ‘Connect Central Asia Policy’ also focuses on leveraging India’s historical and civilizational connections with the Central Asian region and strengthening strategic and security cooperation, capacity building, economic and commercial cooperation, enhancing connectivity, and people-to-people ties.

SAGAR

• The ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region’ (SAGAR) concept was first articulated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mauritius in 2015. 
• Under this concept, India envisages a free, open, inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, one which is built on a rules-based international order, sustainable and transparent infrastructure investment, freedom of navigation and over-flight, unimpeded lawful commerce, mutual respect for sovereignty, peaceful resolution of disputes, as well as equality of all nations. 
• Guided by SAGAR, India is making concrete contributions in connectivity, capacity building, disaster management, enhancing people to people exchanges, promoting sustainable development, creating awareness on illegal, unreported, unregulated fishing, enhancing maritime safety and security as well as strengthening underwater domain awareness in the Indian Ocean Region.