Hedging as a foreign policy tool in India’s Act East Policy

This thesis provides insights into India’s evolving role in the Indo-Pacific region and contributes to the literature on the use of hedging in foreign policy by shedding light on the patterns of India’s hedging behavior. By using qualitative research methodology for data collection including primary data (interviews) and secondary data sources, this thesis analyses how India’s Act East Policy (AEP) uses the ‘hedging’ strategy against China’s rise in the Indo-Pacific region, why China’s rise is a matter of concern to India’s foreign policy and further evaluates the developments and limitations of AEP during Modi’s second term (2019-2023). Within the context of the Indo-Pacific, AEP, the cornerstone of India’s foreign policy exhibits a clear hedging pattern. India’s hedging behavior is motivated by its desire to preserve strategic autonomy, protect its national interests, negotiate the region’s complicated geopolitical landscape, and simultaneously realize its Indo-Pacific goals. This multifaceted strategy enables India to position itself as a prominent and autonomous player in the Indo-Pacific region while navigating the geopolitical risks that arise. However, India’s outreach to the Indo-Pacific arena encounters obstacles, as well as skeptical views from ASEAN countries due to its weaker stance, inconsistency, and ambiguous behavior. Even so, considering the current Indo-Pacific situation, India would be far better suited to use hedging to accomplish its goals in the region without encountering heavy deadlocks. AEP remains comparatively weaker against China’s foreign policies in this region. Hence, to exercise effective hedging, India needs to reinvigorate its AEP and deepen ties with ASEAN countries, while maintaining a trustworthy standpoint with its allies like the US and QUAD. By illuminating the complexities of India’s hedging behavior this thesis contributes to the broader discourse on strategic hedging in foreign policy.