Neighborhood First Policy & Act East Initiatives

India's Neighborhood First doctrine establishes priority engagement with immediate South Asian neighbors through enhanced cross-border physical infrastructure, digital connectivity, and developmental grants. This approach is exemplified by cross-border hydrocarbon pipelines with Nepal, integrated check-posts along the Bangladesh border, and swift humanitarian assistance during regional crises. Simultaneously, the Act East Policy, upgraded in 2014 from the 1991 Look East Policy, deepens economic integration, strategic defence partnerships, and socio-cultural connectivity with ASEAN member states and the wider Indo-Pacific. Complementing these initiatives, the SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision reinforces maritime surveillance, anti-piracy coordination, and blue-economy collaborations across the Indian Ocean rim.