Three trends marked India’s economic engagement with the immediate neighbourhood during the month. First, West Asia has been a bright spot, where business-to-business relations are growing. Second, the importance of robust border management processes in maintaining strong India-Bangladesh trade relations is becoming increasingly evident. Third, the Sri Lankan experience demonstrates that India is a first responder not only in the domain of HADR but also in responding to a financial crisis in the immediate neighbourhood.
In the geopolitical realm, an ‘India Out’ campaign mounted by the political opposition is attempting to push back the recent gains made by India in the Maldives. Further, Myanmar’s prolonged political crisis has undermined India’s connectivity initiatives in the region and has serious security implications for India’s Northeast, necessitating closer attention to our borders with Myanmar to prevent a spillover of security threats, traditional and non-traditional.