In essence, there are two chief rationales for writing the monograph. Foremost, Iraq constitutes an essential part of India's extended neighbourhood, not merely for its ineluctable geopolitical and geoeconomic significance but also because of its vast historical and cultural importance. Moreover, as New Delhi increases its footprint in the region, Iraq would play a determining role. Hitherto, Iraq has featured prominently in India's energy security calculus. However, the current binary relationship needs to be expanded, and relations must be advanced beyond the quest for energy resources. To these ends, studying India's relations with Iraq becomes necessary.
Another critical reason for conducting this study was the absence of literature on Indo-Iraq relations. Even after decades of close relations, and despite being one of the top suppliers of crude to India for over a decade, the literature that examines the dynamics of India-Iraq relations, is meagre to say the least. Most of the scholarship on the subject is essentially a part of oral history, often articulated in opinion pieces, news items, and a handful of articles written about the issues in vogue, rather than any systemic inquiry of the bilateral relations. As a result, the general review of bilateral ties has remained unexplored. Therefore, taking note of this severe research gap in the literature, this monograph aims to conduct a historical survey of Indo-Iraq bilateral relations to provide a comprehensive picture of the bilateral relations. Moreover, the monograph provides policy recommendations based on past bilateral experiences.