Recent, Prime Minister of India’s  renewed outreach to Sri Lanka and Indian Ocean nations in April 2025 signals India’s strategic push to revitalise regional integration

Rise of Multilateralism

• Origins: The first genuine effort at globalism was made by Woodrow Wilson in 1918 with his 14-point agenda, proposing a framework for a post-war world based on peace and justice.
• Formation of League of Nations: The League of Nations was formed as part of this vision but faced early setbacks when Warren Harding, Wilson’s successor, pulled the United States back into isolationism.
  • The League failed to sustain its momentum, and its eventual collapse marked a failure of early globalist ambitions.
• Re-Emergence of Multilateralism: Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced the Atlantic Charter in 1941, laying out principles such as self-determination, economic cooperation, and disarmament.
  • These principles led to the formation of multilateral bodies at the end of World War II, including the United Nations (UN), reinforcing the belief in global governance.

Reasons for Decline of Globalism

• Rise of Regional Blocs: Despite the globalist rhetoric, major powers silently focused on regional and bloc-based strategies for geopolitical influence.
• USSR: Soviets used military power to form the Warsaw Pact and dominate Eastern Europe.
• USA: America, through the Marshall Plan, economic power, and the formation of NATO, extended its influence across Western Europe.
• China: China, under Mao Zedong, used military strength to expand its geopolitical sphere, particularly in Korea and Vietnam.
• Approach of India: India, post-independence, embraced a romantic view of global politics, with Jawaharlal Nehru initially focusing on Non-Alignment and Third World politics.
  • Nehru’s Asian Relations Conference (1947) demonstrated a realistic approach, but was later overshadowed by his idealistic pursuit of globalism.
• Emergence of Regionalism: By the late 20th century, the globalist dream projects were seen as impractical, and regionalism began to dominate.
• Regional Interests: Regional interests took precedence over global governance, marking the shift from globalism to regionalism and minilateralism.
  • As globalism recedes, regional groupings are emerging as the new power blocs, forming the multipolar world order of the 21st century.
• Regional Integration of Europe:  The first to recognize the importance of regional blocs were the European nations.
  • In 1957, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany formed the European Economic Community (EEC), which later evolved into the European Union (EU) in 1993.
  • This marked the rise of regional economic cooperation and integration as an alternative to global governance.
• Rise of ASEAN: In 1967, five Southeast Asian countries — Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand — formed the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
  • Over time, ASEAN expanded into an 11-nation body, focusing on regional security, economic cooperation, and political stability.

Challenges Associated with Regional Integration of South Asia

• Lack of Integration: Despite being geographically and culturally the most contiguous, South Asia remains the least integrated region.
• Failure of SAARC: SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) was founded in 1985 by Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh, who initially convinced Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Maldives to form the regional grouping.
  • India and Pakistan were reluctantly included, but the association’s potential was never fully realized, largely due to bilateral tensions.
• Rise of BIMSTEC: BIST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand Economic Cooperation) was formed in 1997 to promote economic cooperation.
  • In 2004, it expanded to include Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar, becoming BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation).
• Rise of IORA: Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) was proposed by Nelson Mandela in 1995 and formed in 1997, focusing on regional cooperation in the Indian Ocean region.

Way Forward

• Regional Vision: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought to reinvigorate regional geopolitics, with a focus on the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• Emphasis on Indian Ocean: Modi’s Mauritius visit and his emphasis on Indian Ocean identity signal India’s growing interest in the region.
• QUAD: The Indian leadership’s role in creating a distinct Indian Ocean agenda in the Quad is a step toward fostering greater regional integration and cooperation.
• Revival of SAARC and BIMSTEC: Modi’s efforts to revive SAARC by inviting leaders to his 2014 swearing-in demonstrated his commitment to regional cooperation, but SAARC remains dysfunctional due to persistent India-Pakistan tensions.
  • BIMSTEC, on the other hand, holds greater growth potential but has been largely neglected due to lack of political will. It has only had six leader-level meetings in its 28-year history.
• Role India: To achieve meaningful regional integration, India must focus on strengthening BIMSTEC as a key regional forum , and greater cooperation in the Indian Ocean region, including Mauritius and island countries.
  • India-East Africa cooperation to foster stronger ties within the IOR.
• Vision and Determination: Regional integration is challenging, but it is the vision and determination of regional leaders that will drive successful outcomes.

Conclusion

India is at the center of regional integration efforts, especially in the Indian Ocean and South Asia. With the political will, cooperation from neighboring states, and a focused approach, India can lead the region toward a new era of regional integration and geopolitical stability.

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