The dawn of the 21st century has witnessed the emergence of India as an upcoming global power. To move forward on this path, India must ensure an external environment that is conducive to its security and development. India, however, faces formidable challenges in its bid to achieve an optimum global role.

The present book, therefore, attempts to examine those critical issues that have to be addressed by India`s foreign policy makers to enable it to maintain its autonomy in international politics, secure its frontiers, cope with the challenges of cross border terrorism and sustain high economic growth so that it is able to achieve the status of a global power in the 21st century.

Divided into five parts, the first part of the book makes an overview of the challenges ahead for India`s foreign policy. The second and third parts are devoted to discussing challenges regarding managing the global and Asian balance of power, respectively.

In part four, light has been thrown on India`s relations with her neighbours. Finally, some of the critical issues such as India`s maritime security and economic challenges confronting the makers of India`s foreign policy have been discussed in part five.

The papers contained in the book contributed by well-known experts thus make an in-depth study of emerging challenges before the makers of India`s foreign policy and suggest appropriate policy responses. Addressed to scholars, students, policy makers and lay readers alike, this outstanding book is rare of its kind and presents a balanced, cogent and comprehensive account of emerging challenges confronting Indian foreign policy establishment.