Neighbourhood Studies

The Neighbourhood Studies Initiative of the Strategic Studies Programme aims to promote research on the key pressing issues of India’s Neighbourhood.

As the world order transits from the West to the East and pivots around the Indo-Pacific region, India and its neighbourhood - entailing the regions of South Asia and the Indian Ocean - is growing geo-strategically important. India, which has traditionally maintained a strong presence among its neighbours for development, security, and strategic goals, is seeing an assertive and aggressive China increase its influence among its neighbours. This evolving competition has also incentivized other powers to assert themselves in the region, placing India and its neighbourhood in a geopolitical spotlight and calling upon a thorough understanding of the region. 

Key Areas of Research:

The key themes guiding the research of this initiative are Security and Geopolitics, Development and Politics, Connectivity, Environment and Non-Traditional Security, and Regional Integration and Multilateralism.

The countries at the center of focus for the initiative are Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar. Some focus geographies for the Initiative are South Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Himalayas, the Bay of Bengal, and the Indo-Pacific.