India’s Neighbourhood First Policy and Its Diplomatic Challenges in Bangladesh and Nepal After 2024

Abstract

India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy has long been a central pillar of its foreign policy thinking, based on the idea that a peaceful, friendly, and cooperative neighbourhood is essential for India’s own growth and stability. Since its renewed emphasis under the Modi government after 2014, this policy has tried to build stronger economic, cultural, and political ties with South Asian neighbours. However, the year 2024 brought serious diplomatic challenges that have put this policy under a difficult test. In Bangladesh, the political crisis and the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government created an uncertain environment for India-Bangladesh relations. In Nepal, frequent political changes, growing Chinese influence, and public sentiments against some Indian positions have made the bilateral relationship more complicated than before. This paper tries to look carefully at these two cases and understand what they mean for the future of India’s Neighbourhood First policy. The study uses a qualitative research approach based on analysis of policy documents, news reports, academic journals, and expert commentaries. The findings suggest that while the Neighbourhood First policy has had some positive results in areas like connectivity and trade, it has not been fully effective in addressing deeper political sensitivities, trust deficits, and the growing influence of China in the region. The paper argues that India needs to rethink and reshape its neighbourhood diplomacy by focusing more on mutual respect, non-interference, people-to-people contact, and long-term partnership rather than short-term political alignments. This study is useful for scholars, policy analysts, and students interested in South Asian geopolitics and Indian foreign policy.