UPSC Saransh

Syllabus: #GSII - Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Highlights:
1. Article discusses the current optimism surrounding India's economic prospects and its potential impact on the rest of the South Asian region.
2. It highlights the shifting currents in South Asian regionalism, with increasing interest in trade, connectivity, and economic integration.
3. The article identifies three key factors driving regional economic integration:
👉Recent economic crises in Sri Lanka and Pakistan are compelling these countries to undertake serious economic changes, making them more open to trade, investment, and connectivity with India.

👉India's economic weight in the world has increased, leading to larger commercial ties with its neighbours, except Pakistan.

👉The rivalry between the US and China, along with conflicts between India and China, has led to a shift in the Subcontinent's geo-economic template. The US and its allies actively promote economic engagement with India and encourage economic integration between India and smaller neighbours as an alternative to China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Catchline:
“Together the three trends — the region’s new economic openness, Delhi’s vigorous neighbourhood policies, and Western support for an India-centred regionalism in South Asia — could transform the Subcontinent’s geo-economic landscape. India’s rising economic tide could help lift all boats in South Asia” - C Raja Mohan

#Keywords: South Asian regionalism, Intra-regional trade, Great power rivalry, India-centred regionalism.

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