| Summary/Abstract |
With the world system moving from a bipolar to a multipolar structure,
and the world agenda shifting from narrow high-politics to lowpolitics, there is a need to critically examine the impact of emerging
countries on regionalism and the regional systems of the Global South.
Uplifted by its economic growth, India is exerting to play a more
active role beyond its immediate neighbourhood by developing critical
partnerships with regional and extra-regional players. As a result of
India’s expanding ties with the Vanilla Island countries, India has
recently been accepted as an observer in the Indian Ocean
Commission. While France has traditionally dominated this region
due to its shared history, China has also been increasingly asserting
its position here. Against the backdrop of Chinese presence continuing
to shore up as well as the mounting tension between the USA and
Iran over the Mozambique Channel, the competition between these
powers could spill over into the region and impact the peace, stability,
and ongoing constructive cooperation efforts. This essay takes India
as a case study, and attempts to determine the impact of India’s
assertive policies in the region. By examining the theoretical constructs
of regionalism, the paper examines the impact of India’s increasing
assertiveness in the region, and its impact on WIO regionalism at a
theoretical as well as empirical level.
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