Guardians of Stability: India’s Defence Engagement in the Middle East

This chapter examines India’s defence engagement with the Middle East, and what that tells us about strategic autonomy in practice. As India deepens defence links with Israel, Iran, and the Gulf states, it faces a uniquely difficult region, one which is riddled with overlapping rivalries, sudden escalations, and extreme sensitivity to political signals. India has avoided traditional alliances and formal security guarantees. Instead, it uses a calibrated, compartmentalized approach across defence procurement, training, intelligence, and maritime security. The pattern points to bilateralism, issue-specific engagement, restrained public messaging, and no permanent military bases. These mechanisms let India secure practical benefits like maritime access, crisis-response capacity, and technology collaboration while limiting risks of entrapment, escalation, and reputational damage. These choices reflect a preference for operational autonomy rather than maximal freedom. India prioritizes staying insulated from regional conflicts over projecting influence. By looking at India’s Middle East engagement in this high-friction environment, the chapter shows how strategic autonomy is actively practised rather than just declared. The Middle East emerges as a critical test for India’s defence strategy, and reveals both the possibilities and limits of using autonomy as a pragmatic tool to sustain cooperation amid persistent rivalries.