Abstract

This thesis aims to understand and explain the Indian model of development partnership, both policy and practice through an analysis of India’s assistance to Sri Lanka and Nepal. The theoretical framework for this thesis applies constructivist theory of international relations and sociological understandings of gift theory. Using these, the study interprets the narratives, experiences and perceptions of present and retired policymakers and other elites (including project implementing teams) in New Delhi, Colombo, and Kathmandu, and perceptions and practices of Indian development assistance at the community level within two Indian supported housing projects, one in each country. While India’s engagement in overseas development commenced immediately after independence, the analysis begins with a review of changes in Indian official assistance policy from 1999 onwards, corresponding to a period of expansion in the scale and ambition of Indian efforts in this area. The thesis draws from field research (including elite and community interviews) conducted in all three countries, analysis of publicly available Indian government documents and relevant speeches. The thesis argues that India’s development assistance is guided by both its regional and global identities. These identities shape Indian development assistance interests, which are diverse and in accordance with the country’s broader foreign policy objectives. In reviewing India’s development assistance / cooperation / partnership through a multi-perspective approach (in terms of different theories, different levels, and locations), this thesis broadens the understanding of how aid giving takes shape within India’s foreign policy apparatus, and how assistance-receipt affects India’s development cooperation. The country’s development partnership policy, programme, and processes, reflect not just the broader contradictions within bilateral aid, but also the challenges that a developing country faces in its path towards recognition in the global aid architecture.