Modi, Nationalism, Populism and India’s Exit from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership

This article contributes to the extant literature by providing a systematic and comprehensive study of India’s decision to exit the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in 2019. It argues and illustrates that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cognition that is his beliefs and values explicate India’s exit from the RCEP. Modi is a nationalist populist leader. He is deeply influenced by Hindu nationalism including its economic ideology. Modi believes that joining the RCEP would have adversely affected India’s domestic industry, especially the small- and medium-sized enterprises, and prevented India from becoming a leading/great power and retain its past glory.