Strategic Corridors and Regional Integration: IMEC, I2U2, and the Future of Multilateral Cooperation

This policy-focused Capstone examines the role of the U.S. and India in shaping multilateral initiatives, specifically the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and the I2U2 partnership (India–Israel–UAE–U.S.). These corridors represent a new era of geoeconomic cooperation across the Global South. The Capstone team will engage in applied research and field-based inquiry, producing policy-relevant insights for the prospective client, the VishwaMitra Research Foundation(VRF), and other strategic stakeholders.

Launched at the G20 Summit in New Delhi in 2023, IMEC represents an ambitious effort by India, the United States, the European Union, and key Middle Eastern partners to create a new model of connectivity that has been viewed as a strategic response to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The Capstone team will examine how IMEC could advance country development goals through the design of governance frameworks and actionable policy recommendations. Themes include U.S. foreign policy, regional politics, geoeconomics, AI and digital public infrastructure (DPI), workforce skilling and inclusion, human rights, and energy and climate sustainability. Cultural and historical legacies of earlier trading routes will also be studied to understand how they shape present-day cooperation.