The phrase Think West was used for the first time in the inaugural Raisina Dialogue (March 2016) by foreign secretary S. Jaishankar. Despite long historical ties, India’s links to the Gulf countries in the last few decades had come to be defined by the twin factors of energy imports and labour exports. New Delhi could do little to harness the interdependencies to build a more robust relationship. But that was going to change, as Jaishankar announced that “we are no longer content to be passive recipients of outcomes”. India’s landmark “Act East” policy, he added, “would be matched with ‘Think West’.” The numbers on trade between India and the Gulf countries are impressive; with the UAE alone, trade has hit the $50 billion mark. The remittances sent by Indian labour migrants—numbering 2.6 million in the UAE and more than 7 million in the Gulf—have added to the economic relationship. But there are other structural factors at play. One, the desire of the US to cut down its global security role is timed with India’s aspiration to play a greater role in the Indian Ocean. Two, the fall in commodity prices—the recent bump notwithstanding—has driven down the logic of diversification among the oil-rich nations in West Asia. Three, the rise of religious radicalism globally and India’s ability to largely escape that ominous trend has underlined the success of India’s multicultural social fabric. And lastly, in a world reeling under the long-term negative effects of the financial crisis, India is a remarkable anchor of stability as it continues to notch up high growth numbers. The Modi government has worked on correcting the shortfall and consolidated all the previous efforts into its Think West strategy.

(Live Mint)