India, April 7 -- In Modi 3.0, New Delhi seems to be giving shape to a new neighbourhood policy - one that is premised on pragmatism, less ambitious and fussy, adapting to regional realities while de-emphasising the neighbourhood. Delhi's famed "Neighbourhood First" appears to have been archived-and rightly so. It's now "interests first," as evidenced by the series of recent bilateral engagements between Delhi and its near and extended neighbours, primarily aimed at aligning those interests. Despite the confusions in India's strategic community, Delhi's regional policy now de-emphasizes the neighbourhood, and "Neighbourhood First" forms only a small part of its grand strategy.

If you consider the foreign visits of the prime minister and ...