EVENTS

In the larger context of a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based Indo-Pacific regional construct, it is important to evaluate major dichotomies stemming from diverse approaches to ‘regionalism’ adopted by India and China to safeguard their security and economic interests in the Indian Ocean. While India’s approach to the new regional order has been driven by ‘strategic autonomy’ and multipolar regional order in recent years, China’s approach has been led by a ‘Sinocentric’ restructuring of the region. On the other hand, the continuum of ‘Look East Policy’, ‘Neighborhood First’ and ‘Act East Policy’, was indicative of India’s renewed interest in the Indo-Pacific region as a key stakeholder. This further led to the convergence of India’s interest in security cooperation with major countries as key strategic partners, encompassing the Indian Ocean. China’s approach to regionalism has been shaped by ‘String of Pearls’ strategy along with initiatives like ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ and ‘Debt Trap Diplomacy’. While China continues to promote expansionism at the cost of diverging interests in regional security, India is stepping up security regionalism through minilateralism and trilateral mechanisms. These developments not only underscore India’s rise as a key strategic partner, but have also positioned India to leverage its geostrategic location to facilitate and promote regional economic integration. The seminar will explore and assess the approach of these two countries in the Indo-Pacific region.

About the Speaker

Kulkarni Mandar Vijay is a faculty of Economics at GITAM School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hyderabad, India. Before joining GITAM Deemed University, he was a postdoctoral researcher at IIIT-Bangalore. At IIIT-Bangalore, he worked in collaboration with Lund University, Sweden on a comparative study of innovation systems in Bangalore and Beijing. He is a member of the Japan Society for International Development (JASID) and Regional Studies Association (UK). Dr. Kulkarni received his doctoral degree from the Nagoya University, Japan (Graduate School of International Development) in 2013. His research interests lie in the broad areas of international economic development, innovation studies, and regional studies.

About the Chair

Rityusha Mani Tiwary is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, University of Delhi. She holds a Doctorate in Chinese Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University. She is an Honorary Fellow at Institute of Chinese Studies, New Delhi and Associate Editor of the prestigious journal, China Report. She is also the IOE Fellow at the Delhi School of Transnational Studies, University of Delhi. She has been the recipient of several fellowships including the Visiting Program for Young Sinologists in 2017 by the Ministry of Culture, People’s Republic of China; the International Visitor Leadership Program by the Department of State, USA, in 2016 among others. Her areas of specialisation include East Asian regionalism, China’s political economy and foreign policies of China and India.

Event Registration Link Here