India has intensified its South Asian diplomatic outreach under the “Neighbourhood First” policy, linking engagements with Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal to its upcoming BRICS Summit in September 2026.

The Ministry of External Affairs stressed that development cooperation and strategic ties remain central to this push, with invitations extended to BRICS members, partners, and regional leaders.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs clarified that the recent wave of high-level diplomatic engagements across South Asia reflects its strategic Neighbourhood First policy. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal explained during a briefing that visits to Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal are part of New Delhi’s drive to reinforce development partnerships and strengthen ties across multiple domains.

He emphasised that India’s policy is to deepen relationships with neighbouring countries. The Foreign Secretary’s visits to Bhutan and Sri Lanka were highlighted as examples of this approach. Detailed readouts from these visits underscored the importance of development cooperation, which Jaiswal described as a vital component of India’s overall engagement.

India is preparing to host the 18th BRICS Summit on 12–13 September 2026, under its official presidency of the bloc. The summit will be centred on the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” reflecting a human-centric approach across the expanded 11-member grouping and its global partners. Invitations have been extended to BRICS members, partner countries, and leaders from regional groupings for the outreach session.

On 11 August, India reaffirmed its Neighbourhood First policy through simultaneous high-level meetings in Dhaka and Kathmandu. In Dhaka, India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi, met Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Secretariat.

The meeting was seen as a crucial step to foster constructive dialogue and advance bilateral ties amidst recent diplomatic friction. Discussions focused on enhancing people-centric cooperation, trade, and regional stability.

At the same time in Kathmandu, India’s Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, met Prime Minister Balendra Shah at Singha Durbar. The 45-minute meeting was significant as Shah broke his long-standing policy of avoiding one-on-one meetings with foreign diplomats.

Srivastava conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and emphasised India’s commitment to strengthening a robust, multifaceted partnership. The talks centred on expanding cooperation in development projects, trade, energy, and infrastructure.

Earlier, on 5 August, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri concluded his official visit to Colombo. He reiterated India’s commitment to Sri Lanka under the Neighbourhood First policy and Vision MAHASAGAR. A key highlight was the exchange of two INR-denominated Line of Credit agreements: $250 million for railway initiatives and $100 million for livestock and priority sectors. These agreements were exchanged in the presence of President Dissanayaka.

On 30 July, Misri met his Bhutanese counterpart, Dasho Pema Lektup Dorji, in Thimphu. The two diplomats co-chaired the 5th India-Bhutan Development Cooperation Talks, reviewing India-assisted developmental initiatives under Bhutan’s 13th Five-Year Plan. The dialogue focused on evaluating the ground-level implementation of India-backed projects across diverse sectors, illustrating the depth of the strategic growth partnership between the two nations.

These coordinated engagements underscore India’s active commitment to continuous regional diplomacy. The Neighbourhood First policy, conceptualised in 2008 and institutionalised under Prime Minister Modi in 2014, prioritises diplomatic, economic, and security ties with South Asian neighbours. 

It aims to foster regional stability, deepen economic integration, and expand infrastructural connectivity through collaborative transit corridors, shared energy networks, and joint infrastructure projects.

ANI