India’s Arctic Policy

In this chapter, the authors critically analyse the contours of India’s Arctic policy. Based on a historical evaluation of India’s Antarctic engagement, dynamics of the changing developments in the Arctic region and its relations with the Arctic states, India, in a welcome step forward, finally formulated an Arctic policy that it released on March 17, 2020. Its title emphasises that it intends to build a partnership for sustainable development. This policy is based on the draft Arctic policy released in December 2020. Until March 2022, India was only one of four observer countries that did not have an articulated Arctic policy. The Arctic has seen land and sea temperatures rise three times faster than the global average. This opens access to natural resources and the opening of shipping routes, but there are also associated development risks. For coastal nations like India, the consequent rise in global sea levels has the potential to endanger coastal communities. The document accords priority to climate change and scientific research. However, the conclusion states, “India’s interests in the Arctic are scientific, environmental, economic as well as strategic”. The main Indian actors in the Arctic region are the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the NCPOR. However, one can also observe more active Arctic involvement of the ministries related to external affairs, energy and transport, though many more ministries have been mentioned in the policy document. The authors conclude that the release of the policy may spur further India’s Arctic involvement and significantly signal geopolitical interest. The author concludes that the release of India’s Arctic policy without an accompanying publically released plan indicates that India’s engagement in the Arctic is still at the formative stage.