Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T19:07:31.608Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

India's Subnational Governments Foray into the International Arena

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 May 2017

PURNENDRA JAIN  and
TRIDIVESH SINGH MAINI
PURNENDRA JAIN
Affiliation:
Department of Asian Studies, University of Adelaide, [email protected]
TRIDIVESH SINGH MAINI
Affiliation:
The Jindal School of International Affairs, OP Jindal Global University, [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Subnational diplomacy has come to life in India. Although still nowhere near in the same league as their counterparts in North America, Europe, parts of Asia, and even other developing countries, subnational governments (SNGs) in India are increasingly engaged abroad through involvement in regional and global affairs, questioning the central government on international matters, seeking foreign direct investment, organizing trade fairs and investment summits, leading economic missions, and hosting visiting dignitaries to showcase their jurisdiction's economic potential. These new and emerging actors on India's foreign affairs landscape are pluralizing and decentralizing India's foreign policy, albeit in a limited way and on small scale, as all states and territories are not as yet actively involved in foreign affairs. The paper argues that management of India's external relations is no longer informed or conducted simply by a select group of diplomats, high-ranking political leaders, and other specialist foreign policy advisers in New Delhi. Today subnational actors are becoming an essential component in India's foreign affairs. They are joining the huge traffic of SNGs from countries around the world that are linking with counterparts and others across national borders to serve the interests of local constituencies. It is a trend that is changing not only diplomatic roles, but also the nature of economic and political relationships among government actors worldwide.

Type
Research Article
Information
Japanese Journal of Political Science , Volume 18 , Issue 2 , June 2017 , pp. 286 - 312
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

*

Purnendra Jain would like to thank Professor Sanjay Kumar for providing affiliation with the Centre for the Study of Developing Studies, Delhi during sabbatical in 2014. Much of the research for this paper was done during his stay at CSDS. The authors have benefitted from the detailed comments and suggestions for improvement made by the three anonymous reviewers and the Journal's executive editor Takashi Inoguchi.

References

Agnihotri, Amit (2016), ‘Punjab Election: Congress Leader Amarinder Singh's Campaign Trail in US, Canada’, India Today, http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/congress-leader-amarinder-singhs-poll-pitch-via-us-canada/1/648662.html.Google Scholar
Amen, Mark, Toly, Noah, McCarney, Patricia, and Segbers, Klaus (eds.) (2011), Cities and Global Governance: New Sites for International Relations, Surrey: Ashgate.Google Scholar
Aneja, Atul (2014), ‘India Taps Chinese Provinces for Bolstering Foreign Investment’, http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/india-taps-chinese-provinces-for-bolstering-foreign-investment/article6603196.ece.Google Scholar
Aneja, Atul (2015), ‘States Free to Scale the Great Wall: Modi’, http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/modis-china-visit-discusses-border-issues/article7211179.ece?utm_source=InternalRef&utm_medium=relatedNews&utm_campaign=RelatedNews.Google Scholar
Antholis, William (2013), Inside Out, India and China: Local Politics Go Global, Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press.Google Scholar
Basu, Nayanima (2015), ‘Government to Focus on 10–12 States to Kickstart Make in India’, http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/govt-to-focus-on-10-12-states-to-kick-start-make-in-india-115010100970_1.html.Google Scholar
Bhaumik, S. (ed.) (2016), Agartala Doctrine: Proactive Northeast in Indian Foreign Policy, India: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Brande, L. Van den (2010), ‘Sub-state Diplomacy Today’, The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, 5: 199–210.Google Scholar
Business Standard (2015), ‘Rajasthan in Water Management Pact with Singapore Co.’, http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/rajasthan-in-water-management-pact-with-singapore-co-115022501393_1.html.Google Scholar
Chaterjee, Mohua (2016), ‘BJP Acts East, Brass Joins the Assam Party’, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/BJP-acts-east-brass-joins-the-Assam-party/articleshow/52427962.cms.Google Scholar
Chen, Z. and Junbo, Jian (2009), ‘Chinese Provinces as Foreign Policy Actors in Africa’, Occasional Paper 22, South African Institute of International Affairs.Google Scholar
Cheung, P. T. Y. and Tang, J. T. H. (2001), ‘The External Relations of China's Provinces’, in Lampton, David M. (ed.), The Making of Chinese Foreign and Security Policy in the Era of Reform, 1978–2000, Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.Google Scholar
Criekemans, D. (2010), ‘Introduction’, The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, 5: 1–9.Google Scholar
Dinda, Archisman (2015), ‘Mamta Vows to Turn Kolkata into London’, Gulfnews, 26 July 2015, p. A22.Google Scholar
Economic Times (2014), ‘Rajasthan Government Signs Three Key Partnerships with Singapore’, http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-10-15/news/55059478_1_singapore-firms-rajasthan-government-today-hyflux.Google Scholar
Economic Times (2015), ‘Union Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Hails Tamil Nadu, Lists Steps to Speed up Investment Flow’, http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-09-09/news/66363410_1_commercial-courts-investment-flow-steps.Google Scholar
Everlives (2015), ‘Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu to Lead Team to China’, http://everlives.com/news_details.php?id=302.Google Scholar
Fry, E. H. (1998), The Expanding Role of State and Local Governments in US Foreign Affairs, New York: Council of Foreign Relations Press.Google Scholar
Haidar, Suhasini (2014), ‘MEA to Oversee Foreign Investments in States’, http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/mea-to-oversee-foreign-investments-in-states/article6530956.ece.Google Scholar
Hazarika, O. (2014), ‘Evolving Dynamics of Federalism and Foreign Policy: Engagement of Indian states in External Affairs’, Indian Foreign Affairs Journal, 9 (1): 33–45.Google Scholar
Hess, Steve and Aidoo, Richard (2016), ‘Charting the Impact of Subnational Actors in China's Foreign Relations: The 2013 Galamsey Crisis in Chana’, Asian Survey, 56 (2): 301–24.Google Scholar
Hobbs, H. H. (1994), City Hall Goes Abroad: The Foreign Policy of Local Politics Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
Hocking, Brian (1993), Localizing Foreign Policy: Non-central Governments and Multilayered Diplomacy, New York: St Martin's Press.Google Scholar
Jain, Purnendra (2005), Japan's Subnational Governments in International Affairs, London and New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Jain, Purnendra (2012), ‘Australia's Subnational Governments in the Asian Century’, East Asia Forum, 2 July.Google Scholar
Jain, Purnendra (forthcoming), ‘Asian Subnational Government in Foreign Affair’, in Inoguchi, Takashi (ed.), Handbook of Asian Foreign Policy, London: Sage.Google Scholar
Jenkins, Rob (2009), ‘Indian States and the Making of Foreign Economic Policy: The Limits of the Constituent Diplomacy Paradigm’, in Mitra, Subrata K. (ed.), Politics of Modern South Asia: Critical Issues in Modern Politics, vol 4, State and Economy (Part 2), London and New York: Routledge, pp. 57–76.Google Scholar
Jha, Giridhar (2012), ‘Bihar CM Nitish Kumar Likely to Consolidate Muslim Vote Bank After his Pak Visit’, http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/nitish-kumar-pakistan-visit-muslim-vote-bank-bihar/1/229157.html.Google Scholar
Joshua, A. (2012), ‘Nitish Kumar Wins Hearts in Pakistan’, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/nitish-kumar-wins-hearts-in-pakistan/article4086695.ece.Google Scholar
Kanwar, K. (2013), ‘Strained Sri Lanka Ties Not in Tamil Nadu's Interest’, http://www.newindianexpress.com/columns/kamlendra_kanwar/Strained-Sri-Lanka-ties-not-in-Tamil-Nadus-interest/2013/11/17/article1894744.ece.Google Scholar
Kennedy, Miranda (2010), ‘The Indian Lobby in Washington’, http://www.caravanmagazine.in/reportage/indian-lobby-washington.Google Scholar
Kothari, Rajni (1964), ‘The Congress “System” in India’, Asian Survey, 4 (12): 1161–73.Google Scholar
Kumar, Asutosh (2013), ‘Development Focus and Electoral Success at State Level: Nitish Kumar as Bihar Leader’, South Asia Research, 33 (2): 101–21.Google Scholar
Manor, J. (1998), ‘India Defies the Odds: Making Federalism work’, Journal of Democracy, 9 (3): 21–35.Google Scholar
Mazumdar, A. (2015), Indian Foreign Policy in Transition: Relations with South Asia, London and New York: RoutledgeGoogle Scholar
Michelmann, H. (2009), ‘Introduction’, in Michelmann, Hans (ed.), Foreign Relations in Federal Countries, Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, pp. 3–8.Google Scholar
Min, Ye (2014), Diasporas and Foreign Direct Investment in India and China, New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Muni, S. D. (2010), ‘Nalanda: A Soft Power Project’, http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/nalanda-a-soft-power-project/article604248.ece.Google Scholar
Nath, M. N. (2004), ‘Mapping North East on India's Foreign Policy: Looking Past, Present and Beyond’, The Indian Journal of Political Science, 65 (4): 636–52.Google Scholar
NDTV (2015a), ‘Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Meets Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’, http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/rajasthan-chief-minister-vasundhara-raje-meets-japanese-prime-minister-shinzo-abe-753041.Google Scholar
NDTV (2015b), ‘West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Invites British PM David Cameron to Kolkata’, http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/west-bengal-chief-minister-mamata-banerjee-invites-british-pm-david-cameron-to-kolkata-1201678.Google Scholar
New Age Online 2016. ‘Modi, Hasina Open 100 MW Power Supply from Tripura’, 23 March 2016, http://newagebd.net/214345/214345/.Google Scholar
Palit, Amitendu (2015), ‘Goodbye Planning, Welcome NITI’, Singapore: ISAS Insights, Institute of South Asian Studies.Google Scholar
Panagariya, Arvind and Rao, M. Govinda (2015), The Making of Miracles in Indian States: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat, New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Phukan, P. K. (2016), ‘How Can North East India Get Benefit from the East Policy Act and Role of North East Council’, http://www.nelive.in/north-east/opinion/how-can-north-east-india-get-benefited-act-east-policy-and-role-north-east.Google Scholar
PTI (2014), ‘Several Pacts Signed During Mamata's Singapore Visit’, http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/mamta-banerjee-singapore-visit-pacts-signed-west-bengal-cm/1/378080.html.Google Scholar
Rai, Joel (1997), ‘Frequent Fliers’, http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/various-chief-ministers-make-cross-continental-voyages-seeking-investment/1/274341.html.Google Scholar
Rajamohan, C. (2012), ‘Across the Radcliffe Line: Reconnecting the Punjab’, http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/across-the-radcliffe-line-reconnecting-the-punjab/.Google Scholar
Rediff India (2006), ‘What Takes US Presidents to Hyderabad?’, http://www.rediff.com/news/2006/mar/02bush53.htm.Google Scholar
Rudolph, L. and Rudolph, S. (2001), ‘The Iconization of Chandrababu: Sharing Sovereignty in India's Federal Market Economy’, Economic and Political Weekly, 36 (18): 5–11.Google Scholar
Sahai, Paramjit S. (2012), ‘Foreign Policy and International Relations: The Role of Indian States’, unpublished paper given by its author to Purnendra Jain in October 2014.Google Scholar
Sahoo, Pravakar (2015), ‘India's 2015–2015 Budget: Targeted Reform to Promote Investment’, NBR, http://nbr.org/research/activity.aspx?id=547.Google Scholar
Salomon, Monica (2011), ‘Paradiplomacy in the Developing World: The Case of Brazil’, in Amen, Mark, Toly, Noah, McCarney, Patricia, and Segbers, Klaus (eds.), Cities and Global Governance: New Sites for International Relations, Surrey: Ashgate, pp. 45–68.Google Scholar
Saran, S. (2006), ‘Connectivity as India's Neighbourhood Policy’, Himal Magazine, October 2006, http://old.himalmag.com/component/content/article/1571-Connectivity-as-India%E2%80%99s-neighbourhood-policy.html.Google Scholar
Shah, Rashesh (2014), ‘Shifting Economic Power to States’, http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/jSTlHw4oSkeXm7vAXKD47M/Shifting-economic-power-to-states.html.Google Scholar
Sharma, R. (2015), ‘India May Not Like it but Sri Lanka can Move Completely Way from China’, http://thewire.in/2015/08/31/india-may-not-like-it-but-sri-lanka-cant-move-completely-away-from-china-9608/.Google Scholar
Singh, Varinder (2014), ‘Nostalgic Haley Offers Trade Support to Punjab’, http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20141114/main6.htm.Google Scholar
Sobhan, F. (2015), ‘41 Years in the Making’, http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/india-bangladesh-land-boundary-agreement-41-years-in-the-making/.Google Scholar
Spoehr, John and Jain, Purnendra (2012), The Engaging State: South Australia's Engagement with the Asia-Pacific Region, Adelaide: Wakefield Press.Google Scholar
Sridharan, K. (2003), ‘Federalism and Foreign Relations: The Nascent Role of the Indian States’, Asian Studies Review, 27 (4): 463–89.Google Scholar
Stancati, Margherita (2012), ‘Why Hilary Clinton went to Kolkata to see “Didi”’, http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2012/05/07/why-hillary-clinton-went-to-kolkata-to-see-didi/.Google Scholar
Suryanarayan, V. (2013), ‘Sri Lanka: Tamil Nadu and India's Foreign Policy’, http://www.ipcs.org/article/india/sri-lanka-tamil-nadu-and-indias-foreign-policy-3862.html.Google Scholar
Thandi, S. (2006), ‘Punjabi Diaspora and Homeland Relations’, http://www.india-seminar.com/2006/567/567_shinder_s_thandi.htm.Google Scholar
The Hindu Business Line (2015), ‘Tale of Two Summits: Jaitley Welcomes States Vying for More Investments’, http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/tale-of-two-summits-jaitleywelcomes-states-vying-for-more-investments/article6785684.ece.Google Scholar
Times of India (2015), ‘Vibrant States: Their Investment Summits Show that Competition is Effective in Both Politics and Economics’, 13 January 2015, http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toi-editorials/vibrant-states-their-investment-summits-show-that-competition-is-effective-in-both-economics-and-politics/.Google Scholar
Tubilewicz, C. and Jayasuriya, K. (2015), ‘Internationalisation of Chinese Subnational State and Capital: The Case of Yunnan and the Greater Mekong Region’, Australian Journal of International Affairs, 69 (2): 185–204.Google Scholar
Zee News (2014), ‘Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Seeks Immediate Signing of Teesta Deal with India’, http://zeenews.india.com/news/south-asia/sheikh-hasina-seeks-immediate-signing-of-teesta-deal-with-india_956983.html.Google Scholar