Indo-Pacific Strategy Without West Asia Is Incomplete: India’s Foreign Policy Analysis for CLAT 2027

CURRENT AFFAIRS | APRIL 7, 2026

CLAT GK + INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS & CONSTITUTIONAL LAW

Writing on The Indian Express Ideas page, Vandana Yadav presents a compelling argument: India’s Indo-Pacific strategy has a critical blind spot — West Asia. Despite the region’s outsized importance to India — 85% of oil imports, 9 million diaspora, over $50 billion in bilateral trade, and growing strategic depth — West Asia remains inadequately integrated into India’s broader Indo-Pacific framework. The analysis argues that the I2U2 (India-Israel-UAE-US) grouping alone is insufficient and India needs a comprehensive West Asia policy woven into its Indo-Pacific architecture.

This strategic gap has significant implications for CLAT aspirants studying international relations and constitutional law. India’s foreign policy engages multiple constitutional provisions — Article 51 (DPSP on international peace), Article 253 (Parliament’s power to legislate for international agreements), and Article 73 (executive power of the Union). Understanding how India balances its Act East Policy, Indo-Pacific strategy, and Look West interests through these constitutional lenses is essential for the examination.

India’s Indo-Pacific Strategy: Evolution and Gaps

India’s Indo-Pacific vision has evolved from the “Look East Policy” (1991) to “Act East Policy” (2014), and now encompasses the broader concept of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific.” The QUAD — comprising India, the US, Japan, and Australia — has emerged as the primary institutional framework. However, the Indo-Pacific construct has traditionally focused eastward (ASEAN, Pacific Islands, East Asia), leaving West Asia as a peripheral consideration rather than an integral component.

This is strategically anomalous. The “Indo” in Indo-Pacific refers to the Indian Ocean, whose western reaches include the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the approaches to the Persian Gulf. West Asian sea lanes are integral to the same maritime geography that the Indo-Pacific strategy seeks to secure. Excluding the region from strategic planning creates an artificial division in what should be a continuous strategic space.

West Asia: India’s Critical Dependencies

The numbers make the case compelling. India imports approximately 85% of its crude oil from West Asian sources — primarily Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the UAE, and Kuwait. Nearly 9 million Indians form the largest expatriate community in the Gulf, remitting billions of dollars annually. Bilateral trade exceeds $50 billion, and strategic projects like Chabahar Port (Iran) and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC, announced at G20 2023) underscore the region’s growing importance.

I2U2: Necessary but Insufficient

The I2U2 grouping (India-Israel-UAE-US), sometimes called the “West Asian Quad,” focuses on economic cooperation in water, energy, transportation, space, and food security. While a valuable framework, it includes only two West Asian states and excludes Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Iran — all critical to India’s interests. A comprehensive West Asia policy must go beyond I2U2 to engage the entire region, including through existing platforms like the GCC-India dialogue and bilateral strategic partnerships.

Constitutional Dimensions of Indian Foreign Policy

India’s foreign policy operates within a constitutional framework that is often overlooked. Article 51 provides the normative foundation — promoting international peace, maintaining just relations, and fostering respect for international law. Article 253 gives Parliament the power to legislate for implementing international agreements, even on subjects in the State List — a significant expansion of Union power for foreign policy purposes. Article 73 extends Union executive power to matters Parliament can legislate on, giving the executive broad authority in foreign affairs.