Specifics of the Indian "Neighborhood First Policy" towards Sri Lanka in 2015-2023

The issue of India’s approach towards its neighbourhood has been a focus of scholars' attention since the country gained independence in 1947. Over the past decade, this issue has become a significant concern due to major changes in the Indo- Pacific region - primarily, because of China's Rise. The increased activity of Beijing in the Indian Ocean region, which includes strategically located Sri Lanka, has provoked adverse reaction in New Delhi. However, while there has been extensive research on the developments of India’s policy regarding neighbouring countries, most studies on Sri Lanka after 2014 have focused more on the Chinese influence rather than the official discourse of the Indian government, leaving the question of Indian attitude’s transformation unanswered. The purpose of this study is to identify the specifics of New Delhi's “Neighborhood first policy” towards to Sri Lanka in 2015-2023. To address the issue, post-structuralist paradigm was employed, the author used a combination of critical geopolitics and social constructivism, with the main method being N. Fairclough's critical discourse analysis. The results of the study revealed the main trends in the official discourse of India towards to Sri Lanka in 2015-2023, which allowed to determine internal and external factors that had the greatest impact on this process.