As Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on his diplomatic tour to strengthen bilateral ties with Oman, Ethiopia, and Jordan, the significance of these relationships cannot be overstated.

For India, these countries offer a mix of historical, geopolitical, and geoeconomic importance as Geopolitical and Geoeconomics analyst Umesh Kumar told AnewZ's Daybreak programme. 

Kumar emphasised that these relationships are not only based on modern-day politics but also deeply rooted in India's historical and civilisational connections with these countries.

He explained how India’s ties with Oman, in particular, date back to ancient trade links of Indian merchants trading with the western coast of Oman for over two millennia.

The strong historical foundation, combined with India’s substantial expatriate community in the region, makes these ties all the more vital for India.

India’s strategic partnerships

Kumar also outlined several key reasons why India is focusing on enhancing its bilateral ties with Oman, Ethiopia, and Jordan, especially through this visit by Prime Minister Modi.

“The first thing is, India has a historical and civilizational relationship with all the three countries,” Kumar began, highlighting the long-standing connections that India has maintained with these nations for centuries.

He specifically pointed out India’s long-standing ties with Oman: “If you see, India had a very good relationship with Oman, the western coast of India.

We had a trade relationship which goes back as early as 2000 years old. And Oman is also home for 700,000 Indians,” he noted.

The Gulf region, Kumar argued, holds significant strategic value for India, not just in terms of economic ties, but also the social and cultural links due to the large Indian diaspora in the region.

“Since a lot of things are there, because a lot of Indians are residing in Gulf, and they send remittances to India,” Kumar added, highlighting the economic contributions of the Indian community in the Gulf.

Moreover, India’s energy security is closely tied to the region. “Also, if you see the geopolitical groups in India, India imports a lot of the crude oil and natural gas from the Gulf,” he said.

This underscores the importance of maintaining strong energy ties with Gulf nations to ensure India's growing energy demands are met.

However, Kumar noted that India’s ambitions extend beyond these traditional sectors. India is keen to diversify its partnerships and expand its trade relations.

“India also wants to diversify its arrangements, we want to increase our trade with Oman, Ethiopia, and Jordan,” he stated, referring to the growing focus on these countries as India seeks to enhance its global trade footprint.

A particularly noteworthy aspect of this diplomatic push, according to Kumar, is India’s efforts to restart the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) project.

“One more thing which is very much important is India would like to restart the IMEC project in which Jordan is one of the most important places and it would like to link up the things,” he explained.

The IMEC project, which aims to improve connectivity between India, the Middle East, and Europe, holds immense geopolitical and economic significance for India, especially with Jordan playing a central role in facilitating these linkages.

India’s strategic presence in the Indian Ocean region

Kumar also highlighted India’s ambitions to increase its strategic presence in the Indian Ocean region. This includes utilising key locations such as the port of Duqm in Oman, which provides significant logistical advantages for India’s military operations.

“The port of Duqm in Oman has provided the Indian Army, Indian Navy a strategic depth where which they can deploy the ships, refuel it and also carry out operations,” Kumar pointed out.

The port serves as a key strategic asset, allowing India to enhance its maritime capabilities and maintain a robust presence in the Indian Ocean region.

From historical ties and economic interdependence to military and strategic cooperation, these partnerships are key to India’s evolving foreign policy.

As Prime Minister Modi’s visit continues, it’s clear that India aims to strengthen its position in the Gulf, expand trade with African and Middle Eastern nations, and enhance its role in regional security, particularly in the Indian Ocean.

Kumar’s analysis underscores the importance of these relationships in India’s broader geopolitical strategy.

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