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The book addresses two major questions: whether India has a strategic culture which informs the country’s foreign, defence and security thinking and whether India’s foreign and security policies are based on a coherent strategic thinking. The volume, in other words, explores India’s strategic culture, which shapes the country’s strategic thought. From theories of grand strategy to critical constructivist interpretations, a whole range of approaches to this question are included.

With its current rapid economic growth, demand for a permanent UNSC seat, successful alliance building (e.g. BRICS, Indo-US strategic partnership), and desire to play a greater role in global affairs, India’s growing stature requires further analysis on how and why Indian policies are carried out. This book examines the various influences on Indian strategic culture. It will act as guide to those who wish to see patterns in Indian strategic thinking/planning and serve to explain the background of Indian foreign policies.

This book is being produced two decades after the end of the Cold War, which had a major impact on international politics. Therefore, it allows for analysis of Indian strategic culture/thinking both during the Cold War and the changes it experienced after its end. A consolidated collection of academic opinions on India’s strategic culture and thinking, especially from an Indian perspective, will greatly contribute to the field of international relations given India’s rising importance in the global order.