India, March 15 -- When I set out to write a book about India's international relations, I did not necessarily appreciate the centrality of the role of technology. But in setting out the basis of India's international relations - past, present, and future - in Vishwa Shastra: India and the World, I could not escape considering the critical role that technology has played, and continues to play, in the country's international engagement.

Throughout history, technological developments have shaped competition and cooperation between countries. In India's case, it can be traced back to the spread of writing, agricultural, and metallurgical techniques in pre-historic and ancient times. At various points, India was a regional leader in certain...