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Friends : India’s Closest Strategic Partners
Why does India need friends and how are they beneficial for its foreign policy goal of rising to the status of a ‘leading power’ in the world? What kind of power is India today, and how does this reflect in its choice of friends and the forms of cooperation it engages in with these friends? What is the role of enemies in India’s friendships and how are enemies factored into India’s coordination with its friends? What do India’s friends get in return and how have their estimations of the value of India changed over time? Will India be able to juggle strategic partnerships with countries that are in opposite camps in a highly divided world, or will it have to eventually prioritize some friendships over others? Will strategic partnerships be sufficient for India or will international circumstances compel it to convert them into formal alliances?
India’s Closest Strategic Partners is a one-of-a-kind book on foreign policy and geopolitics that offers readers answers to questions which are key to determining India’s future trajectory in international affairs. The book covers seven major bilateral strategic partnerships of India. Relying on case studies of India’s ties with Japan, Australia, the USA, Russia, France, Israel and the UAE, the author argues that India’s position as a rising power in the current transitory world order determines its approach to strategic partnerships. In a world ridden with turmoil and uncertainty, this book shows how India is building momentum and presenting itself as a viable leader, a beneficial partner, and a dependable friend.
India’s Closest Strategic Partners is a one-of-a-kind book on foreign policy and geopolitics that offers readers answers to questions which are key to determining India’s future trajectory in international affairs. The book covers seven major bilateral strategic partnerships of India. Relying on case studies of India’s ties with Japan, Australia, the USA, Russia, France, Israel and the UAE, the author argues that India’s position as a rising power in the current transitory world order determines its approach to strategic partnerships. In a world ridden with turmoil and uncertainty, this book shows how India is building momentum and presenting itself as a viable leader, a beneficial partner, and a dependable friend.
- GenresInternational Relations
Kindle Edition
Published September 30, 2024
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July 10, 2025
I read Friends: India’s Closest Strategic Partners in the dying haze of last week’s monsoon skies, when the news tickers hummed of shifting alliances and diplomatic summits, and suddenly—Sreeram Chaulia’s book didn’t feel like a title on foreign policy. It felt like field notes from a tightrope walk, one that India has been treading for decades. A balancing act between idealism and pragmatism. Between proximity and prudence. Between loving the West, respecting the East, and tolerating everyone in between.
This book, a compact 304-page hardback from Rupa Publications, is both a policy primer and a punchy manifesto. It’s a practical document for realpolitik readers who prefer strategic depth over diplomatic euphemism.
It doesn’t theorize endlessly like a think tank’s annual report; instead, it lays out seven of India’s most important bilateral relationships—USA, Russia, Japan, Australia, France, Israel, and the UAE—and shows how India’s foreign policy isn’t about choosing sides. It’s about choosing itself, again and again.
And that’s perhaps the defining feature of Chaulia’s framing—what he calls the “live-in relationship” model of diplomacy. These aren’t NATO-style ironclad vows; they’re flexible, mutually beneficial engagements.
If The India Way by Jaishankar gave us the spiritual philosophy of Indian diplomacy, Friends gives us its real-life dating history, including the red flags and the 3 a.m. strategic text messages.
Every chapter takes us deep into one bilateral equation. With the USA, it’s a tale of transformation—from Cold War frost to NASA–ISRO collaboration, defence pacts like LEMOA and COMCASA, and a shared Indo-Pacific vision.
But Chaulia doesn’t shy from addressing the power asymmetry here; the U.S. is still the senior partner, and India’s struggle is to preserve autonomy while getting the tech, trade, and trust it needs.
Russia, that eternal friend from the Soviet past, emerges as a complex partner. The defense tie-ups—the S-400, the BrahMos, the energy deals—are old and sturdy.
But with Moscow’s new entanglements in Ukraine and its growing tilt toward China, Chaulia raises a quiet alarm: how long can this friendship resist realignment?
It was in the France chapter, though, that I found myself truly immersed. Maybe it’s the Rafales. Maybe it’s the historic backing France gave during India’s nuclear tests. Or maybe it’s the eerie resemblance between our strategic stubbornness. France, too, is allergic to being bossed around—Chaulia calls this “strategic sovereignty,” and through Indo-Pacific naval partnerships, nuclear cooperation, and joint space missions, France emerges as a steady companion.
Japan and Australia are cast as the anchors of India’s Indo-Pacific dreams. Their rise in strategic importance has been meteoric since the 2000s, and Chaulia credits shared concerns about China, shared infrastructure goals (think: the Delhi–Mumbai Corridor), and shared democratic vibes. Their transformation—from quiet bystanders to Quad co-conspirators—is narrated with clarity and respect.
Israel and the UAE, meanwhile, represent India’s West Asian gamble. The Israel chapter, thick with defense deals and anti-terror solidarity, is compelling, if a bit one-note. The UAE is more fascinating: not just a trade partner or remittance powerhouse, but an increasingly crucial player in India’s diplomacy during crises—such as the mid-air refueling of Rafales during the Ladakh standoff.
These friendships carry soft-power warmth and hard-power consequences.
But here’s where Chaulia’s voice is particularly valuable—he doesn’t glorify these friendships without warning of the fine print. He warns against over-dependence, reminds us of the volatility of world order, and returns often to India’s foundational doctrine: strategic autonomy. Yes, these partnerships are key to India’s rise—but none should become a crutch. India must be close with all, aligned with none.
What makes this book sparkle isn’t just its case studies—it’s the way Chaulia links each bilateral tie back to India’s multilateral presence. The opening chapter on India’s deft diplomacy at the 2023 G20 summit is particularly strong. He convincingly argues that India’s ability to broker consensus—on issues like the Ukraine war—was made possible only through trust earned via its strategic friendships.
Stylistically, Chaulia’s prose is sharp, almost journalistic, with a touch of dry humour that occasionally peeks through the academic rigour. The comparisons to other diplomatic works are inevitable. Unlike the contemplative, sometimes cryptic tone of The India Way by S. Jaishankar, this is a more transactional, battlefield-level account. And it’s far more evolved than Chaulia’s own earlier work The Modi Doctrine (2016), which was more policy pamphlet than narrative. Friends is his most mature and well-rounded book to date.
Now, memory break: I remember reading The Modi Doctrine with a grain of salt in one hand and Google Scholar open on the other. It felt rushed, over-adulatory, more like a campaign note than a critique.
This time, though Chaulia still has flashes of admiration for Modi’s foreign policy instincts, he maintains a respectable distance. His admiration feels earned, not handed down from a bhakt pulpit.
That said, critiques of Friends aren’t absent. Some reviewers flag a slight pro-government slant. Others feel the chapters vary in depth—Israel and UAE, in particular, could have been more expansive. But I’d argue that these are inevitable in a book trying to compress the world into 300 pages. What matters is that Chaulia never loses sight of the Indian interest—whether it’s about trade balances, weapon systems, or diaspora politics.
What I valued most as a reader wasn’t just the data—it was the perspective. This book reminded me that friendship in geopolitics, much like in real life, is about boundaries, timing, and shared goals. It’s not about loyalty for loyalty’s sake. It’s about choosing partnerships that build you up, not trap you down. As a citizen and a teacher, I found that profoundly reassuring.
To sum up: Friends is an urgent, elegant, and instructive guide to how India is crafting a new world order—one friendship at a time. It belongs on the shelf beside The India Way, but unlike Jaishankar’s diplomatic meditations, this one reads like a field manual.
Think of it as Chanakya meets Tinder diplomacy—swipe right, but with a strategy.
This book, a compact 304-page hardback from Rupa Publications, is both a policy primer and a punchy manifesto. It’s a practical document for realpolitik readers who prefer strategic depth over diplomatic euphemism.
It doesn’t theorize endlessly like a think tank’s annual report; instead, it lays out seven of India’s most important bilateral relationships—USA, Russia, Japan, Australia, France, Israel, and the UAE—and shows how India’s foreign policy isn’t about choosing sides. It’s about choosing itself, again and again.
And that’s perhaps the defining feature of Chaulia’s framing—what he calls the “live-in relationship” model of diplomacy. These aren’t NATO-style ironclad vows; they’re flexible, mutually beneficial engagements.
If The India Way by Jaishankar gave us the spiritual philosophy of Indian diplomacy, Friends gives us its real-life dating history, including the red flags and the 3 a.m. strategic text messages.
Every chapter takes us deep into one bilateral equation. With the USA, it’s a tale of transformation—from Cold War frost to NASA–ISRO collaboration, defence pacts like LEMOA and COMCASA, and a shared Indo-Pacific vision.
But Chaulia doesn’t shy from addressing the power asymmetry here; the U.S. is still the senior partner, and India’s struggle is to preserve autonomy while getting the tech, trade, and trust it needs.
Russia, that eternal friend from the Soviet past, emerges as a complex partner. The defense tie-ups—the S-400, the BrahMos, the energy deals—are old and sturdy.
But with Moscow’s new entanglements in Ukraine and its growing tilt toward China, Chaulia raises a quiet alarm: how long can this friendship resist realignment?
It was in the France chapter, though, that I found myself truly immersed. Maybe it’s the Rafales. Maybe it’s the historic backing France gave during India’s nuclear tests. Or maybe it’s the eerie resemblance between our strategic stubbornness. France, too, is allergic to being bossed around—Chaulia calls this “strategic sovereignty,” and through Indo-Pacific naval partnerships, nuclear cooperation, and joint space missions, France emerges as a steady companion.
Japan and Australia are cast as the anchors of India’s Indo-Pacific dreams. Their rise in strategic importance has been meteoric since the 2000s, and Chaulia credits shared concerns about China, shared infrastructure goals (think: the Delhi–Mumbai Corridor), and shared democratic vibes. Their transformation—from quiet bystanders to Quad co-conspirators—is narrated with clarity and respect.
Israel and the UAE, meanwhile, represent India’s West Asian gamble. The Israel chapter, thick with defense deals and anti-terror solidarity, is compelling, if a bit one-note. The UAE is more fascinating: not just a trade partner or remittance powerhouse, but an increasingly crucial player in India’s diplomacy during crises—such as the mid-air refueling of Rafales during the Ladakh standoff.
These friendships carry soft-power warmth and hard-power consequences.
But here’s where Chaulia’s voice is particularly valuable—he doesn’t glorify these friendships without warning of the fine print. He warns against over-dependence, reminds us of the volatility of world order, and returns often to India’s foundational doctrine: strategic autonomy. Yes, these partnerships are key to India’s rise—but none should become a crutch. India must be close with all, aligned with none.
What makes this book sparkle isn’t just its case studies—it’s the way Chaulia links each bilateral tie back to India’s multilateral presence. The opening chapter on India’s deft diplomacy at the 2023 G20 summit is particularly strong. He convincingly argues that India’s ability to broker consensus—on issues like the Ukraine war—was made possible only through trust earned via its strategic friendships.
Stylistically, Chaulia’s prose is sharp, almost journalistic, with a touch of dry humour that occasionally peeks through the academic rigour. The comparisons to other diplomatic works are inevitable. Unlike the contemplative, sometimes cryptic tone of The India Way by S. Jaishankar, this is a more transactional, battlefield-level account. And it’s far more evolved than Chaulia’s own earlier work The Modi Doctrine (2016), which was more policy pamphlet than narrative. Friends is his most mature and well-rounded book to date.
Now, memory break: I remember reading The Modi Doctrine with a grain of salt in one hand and Google Scholar open on the other. It felt rushed, over-adulatory, more like a campaign note than a critique.
This time, though Chaulia still has flashes of admiration for Modi’s foreign policy instincts, he maintains a respectable distance. His admiration feels earned, not handed down from a bhakt pulpit.
That said, critiques of Friends aren’t absent. Some reviewers flag a slight pro-government slant. Others feel the chapters vary in depth—Israel and UAE, in particular, could have been more expansive. But I’d argue that these are inevitable in a book trying to compress the world into 300 pages. What matters is that Chaulia never loses sight of the Indian interest—whether it’s about trade balances, weapon systems, or diaspora politics.
What I valued most as a reader wasn’t just the data—it was the perspective. This book reminded me that friendship in geopolitics, much like in real life, is about boundaries, timing, and shared goals. It’s not about loyalty for loyalty’s sake. It’s about choosing partnerships that build you up, not trap you down. As a citizen and a teacher, I found that profoundly reassuring.
To sum up: Friends is an urgent, elegant, and instructive guide to how India is crafting a new world order—one friendship at a time. It belongs on the shelf beside The India Way, but unlike Jaishankar’s diplomatic meditations, this one reads like a field manual.
Think of it as Chanakya meets Tinder diplomacy—swipe right, but with a strategy.
October 23, 2024
"Friends: India’s Closest Strategic Partners" by Sreeram Chaulia offers a timely exploration of India’s evolving foreign policy strategy, as the country aspires to transition from a balancing regional power to a ‘leading power’ on the global stage. Through case studies of seven key strategic partnerships—with Japan, Australia, the USA, Russia, France, Israel, and the UAE—the book presents a nuanced analysis of how India navigates the complexities of geopolitics in an increasingly polarized world.
The author effectively argues that India’s need for strategic partnerships stems from its foreign policy ambition of being a ‘leading power.’ India seeks not only economic and security benefits from these relationships but also legitimacy in international affairs. With the global order undergoing a shift, marked by rising multipolarity, strategic partnerships serve as essential instruments for India to enhance its influence without binding itself in restrictive alliances.
The book demonstrates how India is positioning itself as a friend to multiple camps, including Western powers and traditionally non-aligned countries like Russia and the UAE. This diplomatic balancing act reflects India’s preference for maintaining autonomy while still benefiting from global partnerships, an approach the author refers to as "multi-alignment." The case studies are used to illustrate India’s pragmatic strategy: engaging with the USA and Japan for security in the Indo-Pacific, deepening defense cooperation with Israel and France, maintaining historical ties with Russia, and expanding economic and energy cooperation with the UAE.
An intriguing theme the book highlights is how shared adversaries and rivalries shape India’s friendships. For instance, the strategic alignment with Japan and Australia is influenced by concerns over China’s rise, while closer ties with Israel reflect common threats related to terrorism. At the same time, India’s relationships are not purely reactive. The book shows how India proactively engages its friends to develop alternative power centers, diluting the dominance of any one bloc. The Russia chapter is particularly thought-provoking, as the author explores how India balances this partnership amid growing Western pressure to distance itself from Moscow.
The book thoughtfully addresses the reciprocal nature of these partnerships, showing how India offers value in different ways. For the USA, India’s large market and military cooperation are crucial for containing China. Japan and Australia benefit from India’s commitment to the Quad and regional stability. Israel, too, gains from India’s defense collaboration, while France sees India as a counterweight to Anglo-American dominance. The UAE appreciates India’s economic influence and the large Indian diaspora. The changing geopolitical context has made India more attractive as a partner, as countries see India’s rise as a counterbalance to Chinese influence and an opportunity to diversify their global engagements.
In conclusion, it offers a thorough analysis of India’s foreign policy strategy and raises critical questions about the sustainability of multi-alignment in an uncertain world. The book effectively captures the complexities of India’s rise and offers readers a glimpse into the strategic calculations behind its friendships. As India continues to navigate a turbulent geopolitical landscape, this book serves as an essential guide to understanding the country's ambitions, dilemmas, and evolving role in global affairs. This book is a must-read for scholars, policymakers, and anyone interested in India’s place in the world order. Its insightful case studies and critical reflections provide valuable perspectives on the future trajectory of India’s foreign relations.
The author effectively argues that India’s need for strategic partnerships stems from its foreign policy ambition of being a ‘leading power.’ India seeks not only economic and security benefits from these relationships but also legitimacy in international affairs. With the global order undergoing a shift, marked by rising multipolarity, strategic partnerships serve as essential instruments for India to enhance its influence without binding itself in restrictive alliances.
The book demonstrates how India is positioning itself as a friend to multiple camps, including Western powers and traditionally non-aligned countries like Russia and the UAE. This diplomatic balancing act reflects India’s preference for maintaining autonomy while still benefiting from global partnerships, an approach the author refers to as "multi-alignment." The case studies are used to illustrate India’s pragmatic strategy: engaging with the USA and Japan for security in the Indo-Pacific, deepening defense cooperation with Israel and France, maintaining historical ties with Russia, and expanding economic and energy cooperation with the UAE.
An intriguing theme the book highlights is how shared adversaries and rivalries shape India’s friendships. For instance, the strategic alignment with Japan and Australia is influenced by concerns over China’s rise, while closer ties with Israel reflect common threats related to terrorism. At the same time, India’s relationships are not purely reactive. The book shows how India proactively engages its friends to develop alternative power centers, diluting the dominance of any one bloc. The Russia chapter is particularly thought-provoking, as the author explores how India balances this partnership amid growing Western pressure to distance itself from Moscow.
The book thoughtfully addresses the reciprocal nature of these partnerships, showing how India offers value in different ways. For the USA, India’s large market and military cooperation are crucial for containing China. Japan and Australia benefit from India’s commitment to the Quad and regional stability. Israel, too, gains from India’s defense collaboration, while France sees India as a counterweight to Anglo-American dominance. The UAE appreciates India’s economic influence and the large Indian diaspora. The changing geopolitical context has made India more attractive as a partner, as countries see India’s rise as a counterbalance to Chinese influence and an opportunity to diversify their global engagements.
In conclusion, it offers a thorough analysis of India’s foreign policy strategy and raises critical questions about the sustainability of multi-alignment in an uncertain world. The book effectively captures the complexities of India’s rise and offers readers a glimpse into the strategic calculations behind its friendships. As India continues to navigate a turbulent geopolitical landscape, this book serves as an essential guide to understanding the country's ambitions, dilemmas, and evolving role in global affairs. This book is a must-read for scholars, policymakers, and anyone interested in India’s place in the world order. Its insightful case studies and critical reflections provide valuable perspectives on the future trajectory of India’s foreign relations.
October 24, 2024
As the book's cover suggests, in the book "India’s Closest Strategic Partners," the author explores the complex web of India’s foreign policy and the crucial role friendships play in the country's ascent to prominence in the world.
The book carefully examines how India's current position as a power influences its selection of allies and cooperative endeavors. It also explores the intricate relationships between friends and enemies, looking into how enemies affect India's strategic partnerships. The author carefully examines how views of India's worth have changed over time and what benefits these alliances provide to India's allies.
The text poses relevant queries regarding India's capacity to preserve strategic ties with nations on opposite sides of global divides as geopolitical tensions increase. Will India be able to strike a balance between these connections, or will it eventually need to give some allies priority? Furthermore, the author investigates whether formal alliances will be required due to changing international conditions or if strategic relationships alone will be adequate.
This book provides a thorough analysis of India's strategic partnerships through in-depth case studies of its ties with Japan, Australia, the United States, Russia, France, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates. "India’s Closest Strategic Partners" shows how India is establishing itself as a trustworthy ally and leader in a world characterized by unpredictability and change. Anyone interested in comprehending India's changing role in international affairs and its future course on the world arena should read this thought-provoking book.
The book carefully examines how India's current position as a power influences its selection of allies and cooperative endeavors. It also explores the intricate relationships between friends and enemies, looking into how enemies affect India's strategic partnerships. The author carefully examines how views of India's worth have changed over time and what benefits these alliances provide to India's allies.
The text poses relevant queries regarding India's capacity to preserve strategic ties with nations on opposite sides of global divides as geopolitical tensions increase. Will India be able to strike a balance between these connections, or will it eventually need to give some allies priority? Furthermore, the author investigates whether formal alliances will be required due to changing international conditions or if strategic relationships alone will be adequate.
This book provides a thorough analysis of India's strategic partnerships through in-depth case studies of its ties with Japan, Australia, the United States, Russia, France, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates. "India’s Closest Strategic Partners" shows how India is establishing itself as a trustworthy ally and leader in a world characterized by unpredictability and change. Anyone interested in comprehending India's changing role in international affairs and its future course on the world arena should read this thought-provoking book.
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December 23, 2024Read our full review here: https://www.keetabikeeda.in/post/how-...
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews