India’s Involvement in the Mekong Subregion in the First Two Decades of the 21st Century

Abstract

After the end of the Cold War (1991), India began to focus on re-engaging with the Mekong Subregion through the implementation of the Look East Policy. In 2000, India announced the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC), which aims to promote cooperative relations between India and five countries in the Mekong Subregion within the overall framework of the Look East Policy. The remarkable rise of China through the second decade of the 21st century has led to India’s decision to step up strategic competition with China in key regions, including the Mekong Subregion. Consequently, India under the regime of Prime Minister Modi switched to the Act East Policy (2014), promoting engagement and expanding areas of cooperation with countries in the Mekong Subregion, from economy to security and military fields. The article presents the current state of India’s involvement and influence in the Mekong Subregion in the first two decades of the 21st century.