The author shows that India’s strategic posture is determined by its Chinese and Pakistani neighbours, which has led it into a close relationship with America. But it is in the oceans and archipelagos of Asia, and further away in Central Asia and in Africa, that India is emerging as a major player, determined to play a role in world governance.

The author believes that the relationship between state and industry is skewed in favour of the latter. He outlines a portrait of a ‘patriotic company’, which would assume a share of responsibility in economic development and the strategic interests more broadly managed by the state.

The author discusses the difference between perception and reality in the context of the history of relations between the littoral peoples of the Mediterranean. The sources of misunderstanding are examined, particularly the perception of oppression by states or religions over the centuries, and he recommends a meeting of minds to write a history of the area that could be used for teaching, regardless of religion, to help in the elimination of phobia and hate.