THERE is a renewed hope of things returning to normal after the initial signing of peace deal between the United States and Iran. Details of the deal might look loaded in favour of Iran and critics might be targeting US President Mr. Donald Trump for giving away too many concessions, but, the fact remains that there was a realisation in both countries about the futility of continuing hostilities. Billions of dollars have been spent on the over three-month war that also disrupted a major part of world economies. Now is the time for rebuilding not only for Iran but also for all the South-East Asian nations which bore the brunt of the war despite zero involvement. This phase now brings into picture India’s role in the future of West Asia. It is now time for India to bring into play all advantages accumulated silently by inking trade deals and forging partnerships in critical sectors.

 

The import of the flurry of foreign trips by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, when the world was panicking due to backbreaking American tariffs and geopolitical tensions, will be known to all as India counts the dividends of its policy of multilateralism and strategic autonomy. From defying US sanctions on purchase of Russian oil at discounted rates to signing Free Trade Agreements with different countries, India was driving in the fast lane in the last one year or so with the only aim of consolidating its position once things returned to normal. Signs of normalcy are now on the horizon and Prime Minister Mr. Modi’s whirlwind diplomatic exercise is set to give India the initial advantage in the changing order. It was a period of churning of the global order with top powers including the US, Russia and China involved in a pitched battle of supremacy. India was a constant on the stage with all these actors without compromising on its stated positions.

 

New Delhi maintained a strategic silence when the Trump administration let off jabs and insults against India in a bid to cower it down into signing a lopsided business deal. Mr. Modi was at the forefront as a mediator when the Russia-Ukraine war broke out. The PM grabbed the centrestage in China when the Russia-India-China (RIC) grouping revival got sudden traction. All these were smartly devised diplomatic steps which kept India in the scheme of things for the future. The efforts have already been acknowledged by all the top powers who have hailed India as an equal and important partner for the future. In the meanwhile, Mr. Modi was busy in forming second-tier alliances with countries in the neighbourhood as well as from distant parts of the world. His trips to the Gulf countries, Nordic nations and in the Middle-East region were an extension of India’s hand of friendship to make it a bigger chain of like-minded partners. The FTA with New Zealand and pacts with Cyprus and Slovakia might look like a regular development in international affairs but those carry a deep meaning and significance for the future of the world.

 

It was a conscious effort from New Delhi to tap partners having access to critical mineral sources and resources needed for quantum computing. With India emerging as a leading player in technology, semiconductors and Artificial Intelligence, it was necessary for the country to invest in destinations which can give unhindered entry to all the rare earth elements needed to sustain these modern technologies. The second-tier alliances hold as much power as the relations with top powers for India. Their importance will be realised in the not-so-distant future when Indian products enter the markets around the world through all these FTAs. For Mr. Modi, diversification was the key to keep the Indian growth story intact. New Delhi had quickly realised the perils of overreliance on traditional sources to fulfill its critical needs. The Prime Minister took it upon himself to scour these alternative resources and forged partnerships on the dint of his excellent personal chemistry with international leaders. The chemistry will soon grant India the role of a catalyst of change.