India's West Asia Policy
Strategic Balancing
West Asia (the Middle East) is one of the most strategically sensitive regions for India, encompassing competing priorities: energy security (60% of India's crude oil imports), remittances (over 8 million Indian diaspora in the Gulf), trade connectivity (Chabahar port, India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor), counter-terrorism cooperation, and relations with both Israel and the Arab states/Iran. India has historically maintained an independent, multi-alignment position in West Asian conflicts — maintaining relations with Israel, Arab states, and Iran simultaneously, while avoiding formal alliances. PM Modi's 2017 visit to Israel (first by an Indian PM) and the Abraham Accords reconfigured the regional landscape, enabling India to deepen Israel ties without sacrificing Arab relationships.
- India imports ~50% of its energy requirements (crude oil, LPG, LNG) through the Strait of Hormuz
- ~8.5 million Indian diaspora in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries; annual remittances exceed $40 billion
- India-Israel relations normalised 1992; elevated to Strategic Partnership 2017
- India abstained on several UN resolutions on the Israel-Gaza conflict in 2023-24, maintaining studied neutrality
- Modi visited Israel February 25-26, 2026; 27 bilateral outcomes announced including 16 agreements and 11 joint initiatives
● Tracked since February 24, 2026 · last seen July 12, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes