India in the Indo-Pacific

Aditi Malhotra is a co-editor of the Journal for Intelligence, Propaganda and Security Studies (JIPSS). She completed her Ph.D. at the Graduate School of Politics (GrasP), Institute for Political Science, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster.

“Overall, India in the Indo-Pacific covers a vast canvas with equal intensity and rigor explaining different phases in India’s foreign policy evolution, along with a careful emphasis on both internal and external factors leading to the conceptualization of particular roles and a sound methodology of interpretative content analysis.” Shailza Singh, Pacific Affairs 98, No. 2 – June 2025

• 1. Contextualising the Indo-Pacific1.1 Mapping India’s Rise in the Indo-Pacific1.2 The Puzzle1.3 Overview of the Argument1.4 Relevance and Significance1.5 Structure of the Book2. Literature Review and Conceptual Framework2.1 Balance of Power Theory (Neorealism)2.2 Constructivism2.3 Alternate Theoretical Explanation: Role Theory2.4 Methodology3. Historical Overview of India’s Role Conceptions: 1947–20003.1 Early Years to Early 1960s: Non-Aligned Asian Power and Peacemaker3.2 Mid-1960s to Late 1980s: Subcontinental Power and Security-Seeker3.3 Early to Late 1990s: Emerging Economic Actor and Benign Power3.4 Summary and Conclusion of the Chapter4. India’s Master and Auxiliary RCs: Emergence and Evolution4.1 Major Power Role (2001 onwards)4.2 Emerging Auxiliary RCs (2001–14)4.3 Master RC: Leading Power Role (2015 onwards)4.4 Act East Policy4.5 Summary and Conclusion of the Chapter5. Self-Conception: Domestic Determinants of Role Conception5.1 Permanent Determinants5.2 New Determinant: Rise in Economic Potential5.3 Growing Salience of Naval Factor5.4 Reasons behind the Conception–Performance Gap5.5 Summary and Conclusion of the Chapter6. Role Prescription: External Determinants of Role Conception6.1 India and China6.2 India and the United States6.3 India and Japan6.4 ASEAN Countries and India6.5 Summary and Conclusion of the Chapter7. Conclusion7.1 Contributions7.2 Changing Role Conceptions7.3 Drivers of Changing Role Conceptions7.4 The Conception–Performance Gap7.5 Implications of the Study7.6 Limitations of Study and Directions for Future ResearchBibliography