This book explores India’s economic and political relations and defence cooperation with major West European countries―France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom as well as Austria, the Visegrad Four, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden and the Baltics. It examines the complexity, the elements of convergence and divergence as well as the challenges and prospects of India’s relations with these countries and assesses the diverging EU think tanks’ images of India. It focuses on India’s multi-dimensional relationship with European countries, which are major trading partners, a significant source and destination of foreign direct investment, an important source of technology and best practices. It examines the Narendra Modi government’s policies to re-energise the India-EU matrix and proactively engage Europe and its sub-regions.
Author(s): Rajendra K. Jain
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 595
City: London
Contents
Notes on Contributors
Abbreviations
List of Figures
List of Tables
1 Introduction
A Third Option?
Changes in the 1990s
Engaging the European Union
Modi and Europe
The War in Ukraine
Chapter Outline
Conclusion
References
2 India and Germany
Nehru Visit, July 1956
The Berlin Crisis 1961
India-China War, 1962
Benign Neglect, 1965–1990
Ostpolitik and Détente in Europe
Bangladesh Crisis, 1971
Recognition of the GDR
Helmut Schmidt, 1974–1982
The Kohl and Rajiv Visits
Sikh Extremism
The Post-Cold War Era
Rao’s Visit, 1991
Helmut Kohl in India, 1993
Germany’s Asia Concept, 1993
Irritants
Kashmir
The Kargil War, 1999
Manmohan Singh, 2004–2014
Strategic Partnership
Membership of the UN Security Council
Indo-US Nuclear Deal and After
A Strategic and Global Partnership, 2007
Intergovernmental Consultations, 2011 and 2013
Modi and Germany
Warming-Up to Modi
Hannover Visit, 2015
Inter-Governmental Consultations
Indo-Pacific
Perceptions and Misperceptions
Economic and Trade Relations
Foreign Direct Investment
Development Assistance
Defence Cooperation and Arms Transfers
Defence Cooperation Agreement, 2006
German Arms Transfers to India
Defence Enhanced Industrial Cooperation Agreement, 2019
Conclusion
References
3 Between Brexit and Boris: The New Dynamic in Indo-UK Relations
Introduction
Before Brexit
Anglosphere Delusions
The Brexit Vote
Half-Hearted May
Changing Strategic India
India Handles Brexit
Boris Takes Over
Downgrading the EU
Indo-Pacific on the Thames
FTA Focus
Immigration
Technology
Conclusion
References
4 India and France
Early Connections
Nehru and Decolonization
Indian Non-alignment and French Un-alignment
Nehru and De Gaulle
The Sixties
Kashmir
Indira Gandhi and De Gaulle, 1966
Bangladesh Crisis, 1971
The 1998 Nuclear Tests and After
Indo-US Nuclear Deal and Energy Security
A Multipolar World Order
Membership of UN Security Council
Strategic Partnership
Modi and France, 2014–2022
The Indo-Pacific
Economic and Trade Relations
Foreign Direct Investment
Development Assistance
Defence Cooperation and Arms Transfers
Defence Exercises
Space Research
Cultural Relations
Conclusion
References
5 Modi’s India and the European Union: A Perceptions Study
Introduction
Methodology
EU News Frequency and Sources
EU Frames
EU News: Focus of Centrality
EU News: Focus of Domesticity
EU Institutions and Officials
The Indian Perception of France, Germany and the UK
Conclusions
References
6 The Italian Non-Connection: India’s On and Off Relations with Italy, 1947–2021
Fascist Italy and Colonial India
Cold War Divide
Early Economic Relations
Attempt at Economic Revival
The Enrica Lexie Case
Leonardo Blacklist
Indian Diaspora
Relations Today
References
7 India and Spain
India and the Spanish Civil War
Membership of Spain in the United Nations
Establishment of Diplomatic Relations
Differences Over Colonial Territories
Foreign Minister Bravo’s Visit, 1972
The Royal Family and India
The General’s Demise
Visit of King Juan Carlos I, 1982
Rajiv Gandhi’s Visit, 1988
The 1990s
Foreign Office Consultations
Spain’s Outreach to Asia in the 2000s
Zapatero’s Visit, 2006
Visits of President Patil and King Carlos
Modi and Spain
The Modi Visit, 2017
2021–2022 Developments
UNSC Reform
NSG Membership
Separatism in Spain
Economic and Trade Relations
External Assistance
Foreign Direct Investment
Spanish FDI in India
Indian FDI in Spain
Combatting Terrorism
Defence Cooperation
Arms Exports to India
Intelligence Cooperation
Modi’s Visit and After
JWG on Defence Cooperation
Security Policy Dialogue
Submarines and Naval Systems
Aircraft
Training and Port Calls
Perceptions and Misperceptions
Indian Perceptions of Spain
Spanish Perceptions of India
Indian Studies in Spain
Spain in Indian Scholarly Literature
Teaching of the Spanish Language
Cultural Ties
Bollywood
Tourism
Diaspora
Conclusion
References
8 India and Portugal
Introduction
Establishment of Diplomatic Relations
Portuguese Colonies in India
The ICJ and the Right of Passage
The Liberation of Goa
Normalisation of Relations
Soares’ Visit
The 1980s
The Post-Cold War Era
Return of Gold Ornaments
High-Level Visits
Kashmir
The 2000s
President Silva’s Visit, 2007
Membership of the UN Security Council
The Abu Salem Saga
The Modi Years, 2014–2022
Rebelo in India, 2020
Covid-19
Portugal and the India-EU Summit, 2021
India Joins Lusophone Countries
Economic and Trade Relations
The 1990s
The 2000s
Joint Economic Commission and Other Mechanisms
Recruitment of Workers
Foreign Direct Investment
Arms Cooperation and Defence Collaboration
Visits
MoU on Defence, 2017
Defence Collaboration
Scientific Cooperation
Cultural Relations
Diaspora
Tourism
Conclusion
References
9 India and the Netherlands
Introduction
Dutch Colonialism
Establishment of Diplomatic Relations
Nehru’s Visit, July 1957
India-China War, 1962
Kashmir
Bangladesh Crisis, 1971
The 1974 Nuclear Tests
High-Level Visits
The Post-Cold War Era
The 1998 Nuclear Tests
The 2000s
Indo-US Nuclear Deal
Human Rights
Other Global Initiatives
Membership of the UN Security Council
The Modi Years, 2014–2022
Economic and Trade Relations
Foreign Direct Investment
Development Assistance
Cultural Relations
Diaspora
The Indo-Pacific
Investment Disputes
Conclusion
References
10 India and Sweden: A Rollercoaster Relationship
Introduction
The Cold War Era
The Six-Nation Initiative
The Bofors Scandal and After
Post-Cold War Era
Pokharan Tests and Non-Proliferation
The 2000s
Indo-US Nuclear Deal
Modi Years, 2014–2021
Löfven’s Visit, 2016
India-Nordic Summit, 2018
The Second India-Nordic Summit, 2022
Scientific and Technical Cooperation
Covid-19
Defence Cooperation and Arms Transfers
Economic and Trade Relations
Development Assistance
Foreign Direct Investment
Cultural Relations
Indian Diaspora
Contestation and Cooperation
Kashmir
Human Rights
Prospects
Conclusion
References
11 India and Austria
Introduction
Nehru and Austria Prior to the Second World War
Establishment of Diplomatic Relations
Austrian Peace Treaty
Nehru Visit, 1955
The 1960s and 1970s
The Bangladesh Crisis, 1971
Vajpayee’s Visit, 1978
New International Economic Order
The 1980s and the 1990s
The 1990s
1998 Nuclear Tests
The First Presidential Visit, 1999
The Rise of the Freedom Party
Post-Cold War Era
Draft Asia Strategy (1997)
Relations Since the Turn of the Millennium
Plassnik’s Visit, 2007
Kashmir
Two Presidential Visits, 2005 and 2011
Foreign Office Consultations
Reform of the United Nations
Indo-US Nuclear Deal
Relations Under Modi
Schallenberg’s Visit, March 2022
Jaishankar’s Visit, January 2023
Migration and Mobility
Economic Relations
Trade
Export Credits
Problems in Bilateral Trade
Foreign Direct Investment
Development Assistance
Arms Transfers
Perceptions
Austria in Indian Scholarly Literature
Cultural Ties
Conclusion
References
12 India and Central Europe
The Cold War Era
Czechoslovakia
Hungarian Uprising, 1956
India-China War, 1962
Soviet Intervention in Czechoslovakia, 1968
Visits During 1960s and 1970s
India and Poland
Rapacki Plan, 1957
Recognition of Frontiers
Bangladesh Crisis, 1971
1990 Changes
The 1990s: Poland
Reform of the UN
Outreach to Asia in the 2000s
The Nuclear Suppliers Group
The 2000s
Poland
Hungary
Slovakia
Modi and Central Europe
Jaishankar’s Visit to Poland and Hungary, 2019
Economic and Trade Relations
Nature of Trade
Czech Republic
Hungary
Poland
Slovakia
Trade in Services
Indian FDI in Central Europe
Czech Republic
Hungary
Poland
Slovakia
Central European FDI in India
Czech Republic
Hungary
Poland
Slovakia
Defence Cooperation
Czech Republic
Hungary
Poland
Slovakia
Cultural Ties
Diaspora
Skilled Indian Migrants in Czechia
Conclusion
References
13 India and the Baltics
Nehru and the Baltics
Turmoil in the Baltics
Recognition
Political Relations
India and Estonia
The 2000s
Cooperation in IT
Detention of Estonian Ship Guards
The 2010s
Vice-President Visit, 2019 and After
India and Latvia
Vice-President in Latvia, 2019 and After
Agreements
India and Lithuania
Naidu’s Visit, August 2019
Foreign Office Consultations
Multilateral Cooperation
Developments, 2021–2022
Visits
Trade and Economic Relations
India and Estonia
Focus on Asia
E-Residency Programme
Foreign Direct Investment
India and Latvia
Foreign Direct Investment
India and Lithuania
Foreign Direct Investment
Arms Exports
Cultural Relations
India and Estonia
Diaspora
India and Latvia
Diaspora
India and Lithuania
Early Contacts
ICCR India Chair
Cultural Exchange
ITEC
Diaspora
Conclusion
References
14 How European Think Tanks Think About India: A Perceptions Study, 2008–2017
Introduction
India’s Growing Weight at the European Think Tank Agenda
Geographical Differences in Thinking about India
Conclusion
Appendix
Selection of European Think Tanks Studied in the Research
References
15 India’s Trade and Economic Relations with Western Europe
Introduction
Evolution of Trade and Economic Cooperation
India’s Trade in Goods
Trade Dynamics
Composition of Trade
Trade in Services
Conclusions and Prospects
References
16 Indian Foreign Direct Investment in Western Europe
Introduction
West European Investment in India
India as an Investment Destination for Western Europe
West European FDI Flows to India
Select West European Investments in India
Indian Investment in West Europe
West Europe as an Investment Destination for India
Indian FDI Flows to Western Europe
Select Indian FDI in the Western Europe
Conclusions and Prospects
References
17 Migration and Indian Diaspora in Western Europe
Introduction
The United Kingdom
France
Spain
Portugal
Belgium
Germany
Italy
The Netherlands
Conclusion
References
Index
