India's Foreign Policy in 2026

2026 is shaping up as a year where India's foreign policy, domestic politics and economic priorities are increasingly intertwined. India is hosting an unusually dense summit calendar — the AI Impact Summit in February, the BRICS Summit in September, and potentially a long-delayed Quad Leaders' Summit — while navigating:

  • A reshuffled neighbourhood: Elections and leadership changes in Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka (including Tarique Rahman's swearing-in as Bangladesh's PM in February 2026) have forced New Delhi to recalibrate ties built up over the previous decade.
  • A tentative US reset: Trade friction with Washington over tariffs dominated much of 2025, but a partial trade understanding earlier in 2026 has opened space for renewed high-level engagement, including on the Quad.
  • Domestic wins as diplomatic ballast: The government has pointed to GST reform, new labour codes, and free trade agreements with the UK, Oman and New Zealand as evidence that its "multi-aligned" foreign policy is delivering, even as commentators note growing strain on India's traditional doctrine of strategic autonomy.
  • Pakistan relations remain precarious but restrained — terror incidents in late 2025 did not trigger military escalation, with both sides exercising caution under the shadow of nuclear deterrence.