As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi bids for reelection, his party has said his skillful diplomacy on the world stage has increased India’s global stature and brought in a flood of investment.But what exactly have Modi’s foreign travels achieved? In the last five years, he struck deals from Russia to the Middle East securing oil assets for India. He got the world’s biggest oil exporter Saudi Aramco to agree to invest in India’s largest oil refinery, and the U.A.E. Opponents have continued to use the deal to question the government’s anti-corruption credentials.Modi has tried to use his trips to bolster India’s global image as an investment destination and a rising global power. And though Modi has approached diplomacy with vigor, some analysts suggest he has not injected the resources -- or implemented the reforms -- necessary to improve India’s standing in the world.

Source: Economic Times April 30, 2019 02:56 UTC