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The Indian Institute of Technology Dharwad organized the first lecture under the “Distinguished Lecture Series,” an initiative of the External Publicity & Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, on “Navigating the Indo-Pacific: India’s Strategy” on March 18, 2025. The lecture was delivered by Ambassador Anil Wadhwa, Distinguished Fellow, Former Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, and Ambassador of India to Italy, Thailand, Oman, Poland, Lithuania, and San Marino.
Ambassador Deepa Gopalan Wadhwa, Former Ambassador to Japan, Qatar, Sweden, and Latvia; Professor V.R. Desai, Director, Indian Institute of Technology Dharwad; Professor S.M. Shivaprasad, Professor and Dean of Outreach, Indian Institute of Technology Dharwad; and Professor K.V. Jayakumar, Visiting Professor and Advisor of Outreach, Indian Institute of Technology Dharwad, graced the event and shared their views on the importance of the issue.
The primary objective of this initiative is to engage with a young audience, particularly students, researchers, and faculty members, to bridge the gap between India’s foreign policy and the youth. Over the years, through this series, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has collaborated with reputed institutions across the country to organize several lectures by distinguished retired and serving diplomats. This year, MEA chose IIT Dharwad to host the Distinguished Lecture.
Ambassador Anil Wadhwa discussed the evolving geopolitical significance of the Indo-Pacific region, particularly highlighting the rise of China and the changing political scenario in the USA, the strategic importance of the region, and India's growing role. He elaborated on the region’s importance due to critical maritime routes such as the Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb, and the Malacca Strait, which are crucial for India's trade connections with both its eastern and western neighbors. He also noted India's evolving policies, including the Look East Policy (1993) and the Act East Policy (2014), aimed at strengthening its ties with Southeast Asia and beyond. Ambassador Wadhwa highlighted the strategic role of multilateral frameworks like the Quad, comprising the U.S., India, Japan, and Australia, in counterbalancing China's influence. He emphasized the importance of India’s foreign strategies for fostering open and inclusive socio-economic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
