The traditional view of neighbourhood means a country sharing a land boundary. India’s land neighbours: Pakistan and Afghanistan (northwest), China (Tibet), Nepal, and Bhutan (north), Bangladesh and Myanmar (east). India’s total land boundary: 15,100 km across deserts, plains, forests, mountains, marshes, and river valleys.

India is also a maritime nation — surrounded by sea on three sides. Maritime neighbours include Sri Lanka, Maldives, Iran, Oman, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.

India’s coastline: approximately 11,100 km. India’s peninsular shape extends deep into the Indian Ocean — making her a vital link between Southeast Asia, West Asia, and Africa. This is called regionalism — cooperation among neighbours for peace, stability, and shared progress.

Since 1950, India and China have shared a long strategic relationship. Separated by the Himalayas, their border stretches (east to west) across Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Ladakh (UT).

Buddhism is a key cultural link — it reached China around the 1st century CE. Chinese monks Faxian and Xuanzang visited Indian learning centres. Indian monks Bodhidharma, Dharmakṣhema and Kumārajīva took Buddhism to China.

Trade (2024-25): India exports to China — iron ore, chemicals, cotton yarn. China exports to India — electronics, mobile phones, computer hardware, industrial equipment. Trade deficit: China’s exports to India are ~8 times more than India’s exports to China. Recent years have seen heightened border tensions alongside efforts at dialogue and border resolution.

Pakistan was carved out of India in the 1947 Partition — founded on a religious basis, unlike India. Their border runs across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Frequent terrorist attacks with support of Pakistan army have prevented normal relations. Despite tensions, there are shared cultural landmarks: Katas Raj temple complex (Mahābhārata connection), Hinglaj Mata Mandir (Balochistan), ancient Sikh shrines. Languages, cuisines, music, and festivals bridge the border.

Bangladesh (earlier ‘East Pakistan’) was born in 1971 as the outcome of a war between India and Pakistan. Bangla is common to Bangladesh and India’s West Bengal.

India-Bangladesh land border runs along West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram. This border is longer than India’s border with China. Both countries share transboundary river systems from the Ganga and Brahmaputra.

Nepal shares a long and open border with India, stretching across Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Sikkim. The relationship features shared heritage, spiritual linkages, cross-border movement, and political partnerships.

The Paśhupatinātha temple in Kathmandu (Śhiva worshipped as protector of animals) draws thousands of Indian visitors annually. Festivals — Daśhain (Daśhaharā), Tihar (Dīpāvalī), and Holi — are celebrated equally in both countries.

Bhutan = ‘Drukyul’ or ‘Land of the Thunder Dragon’. A small landlocked Himalayan kingdom between India and China. Border touches Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh.

India and Myanmar (earlier ‘Burma’) share historical, ethnic, and cultural connections. India’s northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram share borders with Myanmar. They also share a maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal.

Afghanistan is a multiethnic landlocked country in south-central Asia. It once had a direct land border with India; creation of Pakistan in 1947 complicated access. The historic Uttarāpatha trade route linked Ganga plains to Central Asia via Afghanistan, passing through Gandhāra (modern Kandahar), Takṣhaśhilā, Varanasi, and Pāṭaliputra.

Before the spread of Islam (7th century CE), Afghanistan was a thriving centre of Buddhist and Hindu culture. The Buddhas of Bamiyan — gigantic figures carved into Afghan cliffs, symbols of Mahāyāna Buddhism — were destroyed in 2001.

Sri Lanka is located to the southeast of India, separated by the Palk Strait. At the nearest point, the distance is only about 32 km.

Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BCE by Mahendra and Sanghamitrā, son and daughter of Emperor Aśhoka. Hinduism also spread there through the two Epics (Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata). Sri Lanka’s civil war (mid-1980s to ~2010) was between the Sinhalese majority (language: Sinhala) and the Tamil minority (close cultural ties with India), causing many Tamil families to move to Tamil Nadu. India and Sri Lanka share a multidimensional partnership — cultural, historical, economic, and strategic.

The Maldives consists of over 1,100 islets. It is only about 130 km from Minicoy (part of Lakshadweep UT). Cultural ties include South Indian influences in language, cuisine (coconut curries, roshi), the Boduberu dance (echoes Tamil folk rhythms), and boat-building techniques.

Connected since ancient times; Indian traders/scholars sailed to Thailand as early as the 3rd century BCE. The Dvāravatī culture (6th–11th centuries CE) was named from Sanskrit referencing Dvārakā (Kṛiṣhṇa’s city). The Ayutthayā Kingdom (founded 1351) was named after Ayodhyā (birthplace of Rāma).

Ties dating back over two millennia. Around the 4th century CE, the region adopted a script based on India’s Brāhmī script. By the 15th century, Islam became the predominant religion. In the 19th–20th centuries, large numbers of Indian workers (mainly from south India) migrated to work on rubber plantations. Today, the Malaysian Indian community is ~9% of the population. India is one of Malaysia’s largest trading partners (palm oil, energy, infrastructure, IT).

Name derives from ‘Singapuram’ (lion city). Became an independent nation in 1965. Tamil is one of four official languages (English, Mandarin, Tamil, Malay). About 9% of Singaporean residents are of Indian origin, many in ‘Little India’. Singapore is one of India’s largest foreign investors (infrastructure, technology). Known as a benchmark for urban planning — heavy fines for littering, traffic violations, or jaywalking.

Indonesia is an archipelago — several large islands and over 17,000 smaller ones. Maritime trade with Indian kingdoms (Java and Sumatra) dates back over 2,000 years. Collaboration between Nālandā University and the Muara Jambi temple complex (Indonesia). Islam travelled to Indonesia from the shores of India. The Indonesian rupiah carries Garuḍa (vāhana of Viṣhṇu) as the national symbol. Indonesian actors still perform scenes from the Rāmāyaṇa.

Ties since the Bronze Age. Routes evolved into the Silk Route. The Avesta (sacred text of Zoroastrianism) has parallels with India’s Ṛigveda. Mahābhārata mentions Persians as Pārasīka. Persian language (same family as Sanskrit) was used as court language by the Mughals. The Parsis of India are a living link with ancient Persian culture. In modern times, India is developing Iran’s Chabahar Port — giving India access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula at the intersection of the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea. Ties dating back over 5,000 years — Harappan civilisation era. Harappan traders brought copper ingots from Oman back to Indus-Sarasvatī cities.