Abstract

India and Iran share a historical and long term economic relation that has formed the basis of close bilateral relationship. In contemporary World politics, energy resources play an important role and are considered as the engines of economic growth and development for a country. India’s growing energy demand and Iran’s vast energy resources make the two nations natural economic partners. For India, Iran becomes attractive because it occupies second and fourth place among the countries having the highest reserves of gas and oil in the whole world. Iran, on the other hand, needs substantial investments not only in its oil and gas industry but in educational, health, defence and in technological sector as well. The sanctions imposed by the West particularly by United States of America have made it difficult for Iran to emerge as a major regional power on the basis export of gas and oil to its nearest and huge markets (Pakistan and India). This paper examines the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline as a confidence building measure in developing strategic relationship between India, Pakistan and Iran, secondly the nature of American attitude and influence on the relationship between Iran and India particularly in context of the proposed (IPI) Iran, Pakistan and India gas pipeline.  

Key words: India’s growing energy situation, Iranian energy sources and IPI gas pipeline, IPI Gas Pipeline and Regional integration, U.S.’s influence on IPI Project.