The discussion titled “India’s Diplomatic Balancing in West Asia: Strategic Autonomy, Energy Security and Global Responsibility” was moderated by Suhasini Haidar, Diplomatic Editor, The Hindu. | Photo credit: J. Johan Sathyadas
India was supposed to step into a vacuum when the United States, which had played a dominant role in the West Asian region as a guarantor of security, lost its credibility in the region, said Talmiz Ahmad, former ambassador to Oman, UAE and Saudi Arabia and professor of international studies, Symbiosis International University, Pune. He was speaking at the Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), which is organizing The Hindu Diplomacy and Sustainability Dialogues 2026.
On Wednesday 13 May 2026, on “India’s Diplomatic Balancing in West Asia: Strategic Autonomy, Energy Security and Global Accountability”, the former ambassador noted that “India is not a serious player when it comes to West Asia and the crisis of the last two and a half years.
Asked by Suhasini Haidar, diplomatic editor of The Hindu, how he assesses India’s policy towards the region in the context of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UAE, especially after his recent public call for austerity measures, former ambassador Ahmad said: “Our approach, over the last few years, we have not had bilateral relations with countries that do not have bilateral relations in the region. Nor do we want to play any role in promoting security and stability there.”
Sunjay Sudhir, former ambassador to the UAE and Maldives, Distinguished Fellow, IIM Ahmedabad, when asked if he felt India was following a “balanced” West Asia policy, said the policy was more “pragmatic”.
“This is because we have interests across the region – from Israel and the GCC to Iran. To balance these interests, the approach must be pragmatic. Visiting the UAE is a significant statement in itself. Half of our diaspora in the region is in this country and we have a huge amount of trade and foreign direct investment,” he said.
Commenting on India’s role in the West Asian crisis, Gulshan Sachdeva, Jean Monnet Chair, School of International Studies, JNU, said India had taken sides in West Asia even before the war began.
“I would say our assessment was not really correct. We thought it would be a short and easy war and they (the US and Israel) would win. Since then, maybe we’ve been trying to balance…” he said, adding: “Our only relationship with Israel should not become an obstacle not only in West Asia, but in the entire Global South. In the long run, things will settle down.”
TC Karthikeyan, Professor of Politics and International Relations, Director of the Center for Public Policy and Administration, Saveetha School of Law, added: “Whenever nations face economic hardship, there may be some people who say they can offer all the solutions. We have to realize that dictatorships are emerging. India should play the role of a mediator – principled and committed to a rules-based international order.”
Published – 13 May 2026 15:25 IST
