Note: This issue brief was originally published for the Observer Research Fondation by Prachi Mittal on 23 January 2020. Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia was mentioned.

Triangular cooperation aims to forge global partnerships and foster sustainable global development. In such a system, traditional donors provide financial and technical support to facilitate development activities between two developing countries in the South, i.e. one emerging donor country and a beneficiary. Triangular cooperation allows nations to learn from the mistakes of the pioneers of the development cooperation process, bringing about cost-effective and efficient development assistance in the recipient countries. This brief examines India’s growth as a partner in development cooperation and, in particular, its commitment to triangular cooperation programmes. The brief highlights the distinctions and similarities between India–UK, India–US, and India–Japan partnerships in terms of track-one diplomacy, scale of operations, diversity and swiftness.