75 Years of India's Republic: Tracing the past and IMEC as a subject of inquiry amidst global developments

Eric Garcetti, the departing US ambassador to India, has urged India, the US, and Gulf allies to show new vigour in promoting the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

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This view of the outgoing American ambassador should be seen in light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the recent swearing in of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States of America. The Middle East is an extremely combustible region today witnessing several sites of conflict simultaneously. The new American administration might as well sleepwalk into a significant conflict in the region. To support this observation with an example, Washington had come perilously close to a direct war with Iran few years ago in 2020 after a protracted period of simmering tensions.

Hence, the current conflict in Gaza, and the recent titfor-tat missile exchanges between Israel and Iran, creates a highly volatile geopolitical environment, which could get considerably more complex following the overthrow of the Assad government in Syria.

This is the sentiment that got reflected in Garcetti's comments during his interaction with the Indian press where he admitted to the existence of both challenges and new-found opportunities in so far as the operationalisation of the IMEC is concerned. Extrapolating from historical trends leads to an understanding of past attributes and lessons that are shaping the geostrategic realities of today. A historical understanding of this flagship connectivity partnership is required before diving deeper into these geopolitical developments in the regions that sit astride or close to where the IMEC passes through.

HISTORICAL BACKDROP OF THE IMEC