Contributor
Gopi Krishna Bhamidipati is pursuing a PhD in the Planning, Governance, and Globalization Program at Virginia Tech’s School of Public and International Affairs in Arlington, Virginia. His academic focus is India’s relations with Israel, Iran, and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Prior to this, Gopi was a journalist working in the United Arab Emirates and India.
Emerging realignments in the Middle East led by the China-brokered agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran drive India to pursue greater strategic autonomy as rival regional powers diversify their foreign policy, embracing pragmatism and national interests over ideology and geopolitics.
As India aspires to be a great power and rule shaper in international politics, minilateral forums, like I2U2, provide India an opportunity to navigate international problems collectively and advance its economic interests.
