Chapter 75: Projecting Regional Influence

As the war raged, the traditional colonial powers – Britain, France, and the Netherlands – found their resources stretched to breaking point. Their grip on their vast Asian empires began to loosen, weakened by military defeats and economic exhaustion. Adav saw this as the opportune moment for India to begin projecting its influence into neighboring regions, a subtle prelude to its post-war objective of global hegemony.

India's burgeoning industries provided a ready means. Bharat Corporation began offering lucrative trade agreements and development projects to countries and colonial territories in Southeast Asia (like Burma, Malaya, and the Dutch East Indies) and the Middle East (like Persia and the Arabian states). These were not extractive colonial deals, but mutually beneficial partnerships, offering modern infrastructure, industrial expertise, and access to Indian goods in exchange for resources or strategic partnerships.

Beyond trade, India extended significant humanitarian aid to war-torn or economically distressed regions. Indian medical teams and relief supplies, transported by Bharat Corporation's burgeoning shipping and air fleets, arrived in areas where traditional colonial powers could no longer provide assistance. This fostered immense goodwill and trust, subtly undermining European authority and positioning India as a benevolent, powerful regional leader. Prime Minister Bose also began making high-profile diplomatic visits to these regions, promoting a vision of Asian solidarity and shared prosperity, all carefully orchestrated by Adav to establish India's benevolent dominance in its immediate sphere.