The Neighbourhood First approach of India was launched in 2014 and aims to prioritize relations with South Asian neighbours via connectivity, trade, development aid, and diplomatic engagement. This study offers a critical assessment of the implementation of this policy regarding Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh using the qualitative multiple case study design with thematic analysis, and assisted by the asymmetry index using World Bank data and events chronology extracted from secondary sources. It is concluded that India’s physical size and significance offer practical potential for cooperation in connectivity, energy, and crisis management; however, they also result in perception of dominance, which neighbours neutralize using China and sovereignty claims. Cooperation with India varies depending on the neighbour in question: it has been most intensive with Bangladesh, most unstable with Nepal, and most contingent on economic conditions with Sri Lanka. In conclusion, success of the policy is determined not so much by generosity of India as by reciprocity, consistency, and domestic context of neighbours.
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