The ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’ is the anchor point of India’s general foreign policy since independence in 1947. Subsequently, the Neighbourhood First Policy has evolved, was debilitated, and has been reformed under the various prime ministers of India. Based on preferences and perceptions about the South Asian neighbourhood, the Neighbourhood First Policy has been implemented differently. This article aims to analyse the Neighbourhood First Policy of India under four different prime ministers (Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Inder Kumar Gujral, and Narendra Modi). The article investigates the pretexts behind each premier’s way of handling the Neighbourhood First Policy followed by an empirical analysis.

“邻里优先政策”是印度自 1947 年独立以来总体外交政策的基点。随后，邻里优先政策在印度历任总理的领导下不断演变、削弱和改革。基于对南亚邻里的偏好和看法，邻里优先政策的实施有所不同。本文旨在分析四位不同总理（贾瓦哈拉尔·尼赫鲁、英迪拉·甘地、英德尔·库马尔·古杰拉尔和纳伦德拉·莫迪）领导下的印度邻里优先政策。本文调查了每位总理处理邻里优先政策的方式背后的借口，然后进行了实证分析。