India's Strategic Risks in the Initiative Framework of the One Road-Belt

The Indian economy is in dire need of investment in infrastructure and manufacturing. However, Dehli has declined to join the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), citing concerns that the project may escalate regional rivalry and conflict, violate national sovereignty, and accord with Beijing's ambitious policies. Some suspect that the establishment of naval installations in the Indian Ocean and the fortification of the China-Pakistan land route are parts of a larger plan by Beijing to encircle India. This article provides an analytic review of the BRI, examining its economic, military, and geopolitical implications. It also delves into India's perspective on the matter, exploring why the country views Beijing's institutional arrangements, including the BRI, as a major threat to its national interests. Using the descriptive-explanatory approach and basing our reasoning on structural realism's first and foremost tenet—that capabilities, not objectives, shape the international system—we have put the following hypothesis to the test: The significant economic success of this project is a logical assumption; however, this initiative may also serve as a guarantee for China's regional influence and military or security presence in the Indian Ocean, shifting the relative balance of power in Beijing's favor. Findings indicate that Dehli's opposition to the initiative stems from its sovereignty and territorial integrity concerns.