India and different international Blocs

BRICS Summit: Xiamen

Agenda set to focus on member countries coordinated approach towards meaningful multilateral trade in view of rising protectionism in the world
Global Governance, Internet, Counter-terrorism, Energy and National Security are other topics for discussion

BRICS Areas of Cooperation

New International Economic Order: Fortaleza Declaration
1. BRICS has established the New Development Bank to provide credit for infrastructure and development projects in backward regions of developing member nations
2. BRICS has set up a Contingent Reserve Agreement (CRA) to provide liquidity to its member nations at the time of economic crisis and short term BoP pressures
3. BRICS nations are contemplating setting up a Cross-Border Inter-Bank Payment System as an alternative payment system to the SWIFT as a backup to secure the independence of financial institutions in BRICS nations
Social and Labour Sphere:

BRICS countries have pledged to develop harmonious policy in matters of employment, skill development and training, free flow of labour, workers’ wages, security and working conditions.

As a part of cooperation in labour matters, BRICS Network of Labour Research Institutes and BRICS Social Security Cooperation Framework for cooperation on social security issues are utilized.

Counter-Terrorism: The Johanessburg Declaration of BRICS nations urged cooperation to dismantle organized crime rackets, stop terror financing, initiate efforts of counter-radicalization and thwart recruitment and travel of terrorists
Communication: The BRICS cable of optical fibre network has been put in place to provide secure and fast communication between member nations

Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Introduction

India has been inducted as the newest member of the SCO along with Pakistan. The multi-lateral organization can be used as a platform to engage with hitherto untouched and unengaged countries of Central Asia evolving as India’s Pivot to Eurasia.

Prospects for India as a Member of SCO

Boost to Connect Central Asia: The Central Asian countries have hitherto remained unconnected physically and economically with India. SCO can serve as a platform to serve the economic integration of Central Asia with India.
- Achieve consensus and cooperation on INSTC connecting India with Central Asia countries including Russia
Counter-Terrorism: The main agenda of SCO being security-oriented, all member nations will gain from the counter-terrorism cooperation and intelligence sharing with each other. Most of the member countries including India suffer from terrorism across its borders
- Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of SCO
- Qingado Declaration affirming the commitment to fighting terrorism, extremism and separatism calling for a unified global terror front under the coordination of UN
Bridge with Pakistan: SCO can serve as a buffer in the Indo-Pak relations neutralising tensions and putting added pressure on Pakistan to act against terror emanating from within its borders
Maintain Strategic Autonomy: With major powers Russia and China in the SCO, India can rebalance its strategic autonomy in the geopolitical arena that appeared to be waning following the LEMOA agreement with the U.S.
- Military cooperation with members of the SCO
Energy Security: The TAPI Pipeline and SAGE from Iran offers opportunities for India from central Asia to meet its rising energy needs
Boost to India’s projects in Central and West Asia: The Chabhahar and the Golden Quadrilateral infrastructure projects can be boosted with India’s entry into SCO
Cooperation in Cyber Security

Challenges in SCO

Presence of Russia and China: India’s agenda may not receive much support in the SCO given the overwhelming presence of 2 major powers viz. China and Russia.
China’s membership aspirations for SAARC: India’s entry into SCO may justify China’s own demand for membership to the South Asian regional grouping
Issues with China: India has a multitude of issues with China- territorial, anti-terror and free navigation that may sour the cooperation that can be achieved through this multilateral platform.
- India refused to sign the paragraph reaffirming commitment of SCO nations to China’s Belt and Road Initiative
Balancing its relation with U.S: Mandated as a security organization, the military cooperation of member nations of SCO especially Russia may jeopardise India’s relations with the U.S
Pakistan as an irritant

Conclusion

The SCO provides a pivotal opportunity for India to evolve a policy towards Eurasia with a Central Asia core.

The Commonwealth

Commonwealth refers to a group of countries that were initially under the British colonial rule but later on achieved independence and sovereignty from the British Crown. The Commonwealth group still remains and constitutes third of the world’s population and a fifth of the world’s landmass.

Current Advantages of the Commonwealth

Wide Representation: Commonwealth enjoys 3^rd of the world population and hence increased cooperation can help fight global causes such as climate change, urbanization and sustainable development
Institutional Similarity: Most of the commonwealth countries have borrowed heavily from the colonial empire’s administrative and political framework. They are hence able to better cooperate and arrive at common solutions for the same
Brexit: Britain’s departure from the EU has left a vacuum that India seeks to exploit both politically and economically. The Bilateral Trade and Investment Treaty(BTIA) and high-level political talks point towards India’s interest for the same
Expanding its Geo-political Footprint: For a rising India, the commonwealth is the perfect platform to demonstrate its leading power as it provides avenue for expanding its geopolitical footprint from the Caribbean to East Asia

Issues in India-Commonwealth Relationship

Lower Priority: India has accorded lesser priority to the commonwealth at the expense of enhancing its relations with its neighbours, major powers and the South-East Asian nations. This is reflected by India’s absence in last 3 commonwealth summits
Relic from the Past: The grouping is purely on the basis of historical lineage to the British empire and does not reflect current geopolitical dynamics

Dimensions of Cooperation

Commonwealth Blue Charter to sustainably develop and conserve the ocean as a key ecological functionary as well as a trade route to enable economic linkages between nations.

Commonwealth Cyber Declaration to achieve a secure cyberspace through international cooperation and harmonization of laws

Agenda for Trade and Investment to boost capital, labour and flow of goods and services between commonwealth nations in the era of protectionism.

Way Forward

In the changing global geopolitical arena, India and Britain needs to resurrect the Commonwealth as it holds the key promise of a multilateral platform that brings several developing countries together. It must then take up collective causes of sustainable development, climate change and other international issues.

APEC

The extra-regional presence of China in the Indian ocean and the growing economy of India enables it to aspire for the APEC membership despite not being part of the geographical entity of Asia Pacific.

Why India to gain APEC membership?

Market: India is a huge market for the APEC producers of goods and services. This can foster trade-based relationship with APEC nations.
Cheap Labour: India can also provide these countries with human capital at cheaper rates if service liberalization is also on the agenda
Maritime Security: India’s position of South Asian centrality overlooking the Indo-Pacific entails great strategic advantage to the APEC entity in ensuring freedom of navigation vital to trade
Energy and Marine Resources of India can be harnessed to provide for the geo-political entity

Concerns for Indian Membership

Geographical entity: India not part of Asia Pacific
IP rights issue: India’s generic drug industry
Domestic Industry: Cheap imports from APEC member nations may flood Indian markets that debilitate the domestic industry. India may be forced to eliminate tariffs and domestic requirements clauses
Protectionism: Growing protectionism in member nations like the US raise concerns of service sector liberalization that India desires for its skilled population
E-Commerce: The asymmetrical nature of data server location deprives India of data intelligence which is the oil in the 21^st century

Conclusion

With the evolving reference to Indo-Pacific in diplomatic echelons, India’s case for APEC membership now appears more pertinent than ever. The market the APEC provides and gains by accommodating India may prove to be a win-win diplomacy in times of protectionism.