Instead of being led by big power interests, we will engage proactively on our own with countries in the neighbourhood and beyond. In our neighbourhood we will pursue friendly relations. However, where required we will not hesitate from taking strong stand and steps. We will work towards strengthening Regional forums like SAARC and ASEAN.

A note on the label first. "Neighbourhood First" is the government's own description of its policy, adopted after 2014; it is not a manifesto phrase, and this entry grades the manifesto's words rather than the label. Those words make three commitments: engage proactively with countries in the neighbourhood, pursue friendly relations there while taking strong steps where required, and "work towards strengthening Regional forums like SAARC and ASEAN."

The bilateral limb has been sustained. Asked in July 2026 whether India had held discussions with neighbouring countries on trade, connectivity and security, the Ministry of External Affairs answered yes, listed country-wise engagement and agreements in annexures, and described new initiatives spanning maritime and cyber security, climate security, disaster preparedness, food security, and trade, energy, transport and digital connectivity. The first weeks of the term set the tone — regional leaders were invited to the 2014 swearing-in — and the machinery has kept running since.

The regional-forum limb is where the promise has not held, and the failure is precise enough to state plainly. SAARC has not held a summit since the 18th, in Kathmandu, in November 2014 — seven months after this manifesto. The 19th was scheduled for Islamabad in November 2016 and did not happen. Asked directly why there had been no summit since 2014, the ministry replied: "The efforts to continue the SAARC dialogue, including holding of important meetings are hindered due to Pakistan sponsoring cross border terrorism and blocking trade and transport connectivity efforts in the region. As a result, the 19th SAARC Summit scheduled to be held in Pakistan in November 2016 was postponed. There has been no material change in the situation since then, and hence still no consensus among Member States on the holding of the Summit."

A body that has not convened at leader level for more than a decade has not been strengthened, whatever the reason. And the reason matters for how this promise reads, because the manifesto's two neighbourhood commitments turned out to be in tension: India withdrew from the Islamabad summit after the Uri attack, which is exactly the "strong stand and steps" the same paragraph reserved the right to take. Delivering one half of the promise is what prevented the other half.

India has since put its regional weight behind BIMSTEC, which excludes Pakistan and includes Thailand and Myanmar. That is a real and deliberate substitution, and it is not what the manifesto said. Nor is ASEAN neglected — engagement there has deepened. But the specific forum the manifesto named first has been dormant for the whole period.

Partly delivered, and partly accurate: proactive bilateral engagement is documented and continuing; the named regional forum has not met since the year the promise was made.