India’s rising global influence, economic interests in the Indo-Pacific, the shift of economic power to Asia, and China’s continued assertions are drawing New Delhi into a range of triangular partnerships. A report by Niivedita Mukherjee
At a time when the international community—mired in multiple conflicts and facing a stalemate at the United Nations—proactively seeks trilateral alliances for strategic and economic security, India’s policy on trilateral cooperation is also undergoing a significant recalibration. India’s growing clout in the world and economic interests in the Indo-Pacific, shift of economic power to Asia, and China’s continued assertions are drawing New Delhi into a slew of triangular partnerships. These alliances aim to address shared concerns, support India’s developmental goals, and benefit its less privileged Global South partners. While trilaterals are not new to India’s cooperation practices, as demonstrated by the India-China-Russia format in the 1990s and the IBSA with Brazil and South Africa in 2003, these mechanisms are work in progress, marked by successes and failures. But many experts like Kabir Taneja, Deputy Director and Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, believe them to be a good format for India to engage with partners from a variety of backgrounds. Like with smaller platforms, trilaterals are more nimble in nature, easier to navigate. “These are sort of alternative architectures being produced, which are completely new and different and India is one of the countries which is seen as a stakeholder of these things. As far as India goes, the main interest here is that it is able to take onus and responsibility of these newer systems that are in play,” says Taneja.
For instance, in 2022, the Ministry of External Affairs launched the Trilateral Development Cooperation Fund to support private sector enterprises in big-ticket investment projects in the Indo-Pacific region and other geographies. “Importantly, these partnerships will also align with India’s larger geoeconomic objectives, providing momentum to both economic and foreign policy efforts,” opines Bipul Chatterjee, Executive Director, CUTS International. Since 2011, India has established three trilaterals with Japan, three with Australia, two with the US, two with France, and one each with Indonesia and the UAE
From India’s standpoint, geoeconomic deliverables may be seen in two contexts – first the global messaging that needs to go out from the establishment of these mechanisms as counterweights to the increasing Chinese belligerence and second, the long term economic and developmental benefits they can shower on the participants. “Trilateral development cooperation as a key pillar of India’s economic diplomacy,” points out Chatterjee. “It has the potential to firm up India’s position as a bridge between the North and South. Leveraging its credentials as a trusted development partner, by harnessing Northern funds for transformative physical and digital infrastructure projects in Southern recipients around the world, India can establish its credentials as a true Vishwamitra,” says Chatterjee.
