Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday, June 19, 2026, marked twelve years of India's 'India First' foreign policy, highlighting the country's growing global role through humanitarian assistance and long-term development partnerships with nations across the Global South.

Context

Rijiju's post, tagged #12YearsOfIndiaFirst, comes as the Narendra Modi government completes over a decade of a foreign policy doctrine that placed India's strategic and developmental interests at the centre of its international engagements. The minister described India as 'strengthening its global footprint with purpose and compassion,' underscoring both the humanitarian and strategic dimensions of this approach.

The phrase 'India First' has been the defining frame of Modi's foreign policy since 2014, shaping decisions on neighbourhood diplomacy, development financing, and crisis response across Asia, Africa, and beyond.

Policy Backdrop

The twelve-year arc began with the Neighbourhood First policy launched in 2014, which prioritised connectivity, infrastructure, and development assistance to South Asian neighbours. Over the years, India extended multiple Lines of Credit worth billions of dollars to African and Asian nations for infrastructure projects, embedding itself as a credible development partner for the Global South.

A landmark moment in this trajectory was the Vaccine Maitri programme initiated in 2020, under which India supplied COVID-19 vaccines to over 90 developing countries at a time of acute global need. That initiative became emblematic of the 'helping nations in times of need' dimension that Rijiju referenced in his post.

India's approach has consistently paired rapid humanitarian responses during crises — natural disasters, health emergencies, conflict-related evacuations — with structured, long-term development financing. This dual-track model has allowed New Delhi to build soft power while also advancing economic and strategic interests.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of this policy orientation have been developing nations across South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Pacific. For these partners, India represents an alternative development model — one rooted in South-South cooperation rather than conditionality-driven assistance.

Domestically, the anniversary serves as a political milestone for the BJP-led government, reinforcing its narrative of an assertive, compassionate, and globally respected India. Senior ministers like Rijiju amplifying the message signals a coordinated effort to communicate foreign policy achievements to a broad domestic audience.

What's Next

Upcoming multilateral engagements — including India's participation in forums such as BRICS and the UN General Assembly — are likely to serve as platforms for further partnership announcements consistent with this doctrine. Parliamentary sessions dealing with external affairs budget allocations may also shed light on how India plans to deepen its development financing commitments in the years ahead.

As India consolidates its position as a leading voice of the Global South, the 'India First' framework is expected to evolve from a primarily regional posture into a more assertive global development and diplomacy strategy.