The Indian State and its foreign relations

This chapter analyses the continuity in India’s foreign policy over the decades, taking into account the structural and ideological origins and development of the Indian state. The ideas and practices introduced during British colonial domi-nation provided the basis for the construction of the Nehruvian ‘socialistic’ state. Non-alignment perfectly suited the necessities of the newly independent state and remained the main focus of India’s foreign policy even after the end of the Cold War. More recently, the rise to power of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the transition to a Hindu-nation-state brought about an increased emphasis on India’s profile as a world power and a major actor in global capitalism.