Central Asia Journal No. 81, Winter 2017 INDIAN OPPOSITION TO CHINESE BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE: RESPONSE, RATIONALE AND ACTION Musarat Amin  & Rizwan Naseer  Abstract China’s massive initiative of the Belt and Road (BRI) is a gigantic leap that is aiming to connect world’s 65% population, 30% of global G.D.P and about sixty eight countries that have signed on to be part of this mega project. The China Development Bank has estimated 900 projects that are worth more than a trillion dollars, underway to accomplish dream of 21 st century New Silk Road. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is the flagship project of BRI, heralded as game changer that will bring prosperity to Pakistan and will turn Gwadar into an economic hub between Africa, West- Asia and South Asia. India opposed China’s BRI as well as CPEC to neutralize China’s regional and global influence. Modi has shifted from India’s Look East to Act-East Policy and introduced Mausam and SAGAR projects to counterweight BRI. This paper unfolds reasons of India opposition to BRI as well CPEC by providing readers insights about various Indian foreign policy goals. This paper is an analysis of China’s BRI and India’s response to contain it. It also highlights the challenges that CPEC is facing due to India intensive diplomatic maneuvers to impede it. The BRI is set to transform China from civilization state to a western style nation state. Key Words: Belt and Road Initiative, CPEC, Regional Connectivity, Indian Opposition Theorizing India’s Foreign Policy towards China: Debates and Perceptions India’s foreign policy had a great shift after cold war from the member of Non Aligned Movement (NAM) to a proactive Asian balancer against rising China. It also became important for the United States and  Assistant Professor Department of Defence and Diplomatic Studies, Fatima Jinnah Women University Rawalpindi. Email: drmusarat@fjwu.edu.pk  Assistant Professor of International Relations Department of Humanities COMSATS University Islamabad Email: rizwan.naseer@comsats.edu.pk