An Analysis of India’s Arctic Strategy from the Perspective of Indian Think Tanks

Indian think tanks play a crucial role in the construction, development, and research of India’s Arctic strategy. Examining the various policy proposals from Indian think tanks on the country’s Arctic policy provides insights into the different documents and actions taken by the Indian government in the Arctic region, as well as the underlying rationales. This study aims to help China better understand India's Arctic dynamics and offer insights into its strategic cognition. This article draws on research reports, meeting minutes, and representative scholarly articles from nine prominent Indian think tanks, focusing on India’s Arctic actions and the underlying motivations. India, relying on security as its foundation and using hard power to promote the spread of soft power, adopts a fence-sitting approach in its Arctic policy interactions with China, the United States, and Russia, attempting to reap high rewards. However, India still lacks strategic attention to Arctic policy, and domestic divisions on Arctic policy remain unresolved.