The nature of Indian State is a critical factor in understanding the dynamics of Indiaâs foreign policy. An exercise in determining the character of the Indian State may be based on an analysis of its economic postulates and functions, besides its ideological functions. This will enable us to find out the nature of the relations of production and the dominant mode of production in India. A political economy approach to a study of the State proceeds to make a distinction between a socio-economic formation and a mode of production. It assumes a conflicting co-existence of various modes of production in a socio-economic formation and, therefore, recognises the need to identify the dominant mode of production. There are several interpretations and characterisations concerning the mode of production in India and the nature of the Indian State. Analysing the Indian State involves comprehending the changing articulations between several modes of production in the process of transformation, and the shifting alliances between various classes which emerged as dominant within these modes. The book provides readers with of some of the basic principles of this subject.
