Modi and the World: The Ring View Inside Out

On September 14, the Wilson Center is hosting a half-day event on India’s foreign policy. The event will draw on a new book, Modi and the World: The Ring View Inside Out, and several book contributors will serve as speakers. The event will also focus more broadly on India’s foreign policy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and draw on the views of a number of experts.

This event is part of the Asia Program's India in Asia Initiative.

AGENDA

1:30    Welcoming Remarks

            Michael Kugelman, senior associate for South Asia, the Wilson Center

            Yamini Chowdhury, co-editor, Modi and the World: The Ring View Inside Out

1:35    Session 1: U.S.-India Relations: An Emerging “Defining” Partnership for the 21st Century?

 India-US relations have been infused with new vigor under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, as evidenced by the seven meetings he has held with President Obama over his two years in power, including a summit in Washington in June. However, what are the real, tangible achievements on the ground? Have areas of contention been converted into areas of collaboration? What are the greatest opportunities, and biggest roadblocks, for bilateral relations? And what does the  upcoming U.S. presidential election mean for the U.S.-India relationship?

            Robert Boggs, professor of South Asia Studies, Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University

            Mukesh Aghi, president, U.S.-India Business Council

            Sameer Lalwani, deputy director, South Asia Program, The Stimson Center

            Lisa Curtis, senior research fellow on South Asia, The Heritage Foundation

            Raymond E. Vickery, global fellow, Asia Program, the Wilson Center (moderator)

Additional questions for discussion: What is the way forward for bilateral economic relations? How do U.S. businesses view India as an investment destination? Has the Modi government delivered on promises to ease doing business in India? How can bottlenecks, such as Indian concern over U.S. visa policies, be addressed? What is the future of bilateral defense cooperation under the Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI)? What is the nature of the U.S.-India nuclear relationship? How does or should Pakistan figure in U.S.-India relations? Could differing conceptions of security cooperation prevent the U.S.-India relationship from reaching its full potential? How can the United States and India cooperate in the Asia-Pacific region? Can a deepening U.S.-India relationship lead to stronger cooperation within the Japan-India-U.S. trilateral and to stronger prospects for the Japan-India-U.S.-Australia quad?

(Q&A)

3:15      Tea/Coffee Break

3:30      Session II: Assessing Two Years of India’s Foreign Policy Under Modi

This session, drawing on country and regional case studies, will examine Modi’s foreign policy through his first two years as premier. It will also provide comparisons with the foreign policies of his predecessors. Has there been continuity in the overall direction of foreign policy, or are there noticeable changes?

Nicholas Hamisevicz, PhD candidate, Catholic University, and former director of research and academic affairs, Korea Economic Institute of America (India’s relations with the Asia-Pacific)

Tanvi Madan, director, The India Project, Brookings Institution (India-China relations)

Matthew Crosston, professor of political science and director of the International Security and Intelligence Studies Program, Bellevue University (India’s relations with the Middle East)

Monde Muyangwa, director, Africa Program, the Wilson Center (India’s relations with Africa)

Margaret Myers, director of the China and Latin America Program, the Inter-American Dialogue (India’s relations with Latin America)

Michael Kugelman, senior associate for South Asia, the Wilson Center (India’s relations with South Asia) (moderator)

Additional questions for discussion: What does the future hold for India’s   often-  rocky relations with its South Asian neighbors? Is India’s shift from “Look East” to “Act East” guided by economic interests, or is there a strategic dimension as well? Do countries in the Asia-Pacific believe India is a necessary counterweight to a rising China and crucial for stability in Asia? How can India balance a deepening   relationship with United States with its complex relationship with China? Can Modi engage China with a greater sense of confidence on the disputed border issue and, at the same time, explore greater economic engagement? What are the risks and benefits for India of engaging with the Middle East, one of the world’s most volatile regions? Why has India indicated its desire to step up its engagement with Africa? And what does India hope to get out of its relationship with Latin America?

(Q&A)

5:25    Closing Remarks

            Yamini Chowdhury, co-editor, Modi and the World: The Ring View Inside Out

5:30     Adjournment