What does Young India think of Muizzu’s foreign policy?

The recently-concluded visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi demonstrates a remarkable U-turn in President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s outreach to India. In January 2024, a controversy broke out when some government officials close to Muizzu made derogatory remarks against the Indian PM over social media. In return, Indian tourists began to boycott the Maldives, impacting people-to-people ties and dropping the country from being the top tourist source to the sixth place. While the government, tourist organisations, and associations tried to boost tourism from India, little impact is visible. It is hence critical to assess what young India thinks of the Maldives. 

The Observer Research Foundation – India’s premier think tank – conducts an annual foreign policy survey that reflects the public opinion of Indian youth (18-35 years), who make up 43 percent of the country’s population. The survey is an annual initiative that collects 5,000 responses from 19 cities and 11 Indian languages. The pilot edition of the survey was released in August 2021 and collected over 2,037 responses. 

The second edition of the survey was conducted between June and July 2022, and the third was conducted between August and September 2023. The latest iteration, “Foreign Policy Survey 2024: Young India and the China Challenge,” whose interviews were conducted between  July and September 2024, was released on July 8th, 2025. The survey indicates some critical insights about the Maldives. 

Over the course of the last three surveys, the survey has underscored that a majority of Indian youth have a positive perception of the Maldives. This latest survey demonstrated that over 58 percent of young India trust the Maldives. There is a slight decline in trust for the Maldives this year, compared to President Ibu Solih's years in 2022 (60 percent) and 2023 (62 percent).

Similarly, 53 percent of respondents feel that bilateral relations with the Maldives are either good or very good. This again marks a low from previous surveys’ 56 percent (in 2022) and 58 percent (in 2023), respectively. Nearly 49 percent of respondents also indicated that relations with the Maldives have increased over the last ten years. 

While the Maldives has not been in the top three picks for these responses, a majority of Indian youth have a positive perception of the country, indicating that, besides foreign policy and geopolitics, long-term people-to-people engagements and culture have shaped their perceptions. Youth still see the Maldives as a reliable partner. However, this optimism is at a low when compared to the Solih years, likely due to Muizzu’s policies that are detrimental to India’s security. 

Youth deems the Indian Ocean as the strategically most important region for India (33 percent), followed by South Asia (23 percent), underscoring how important they find their immediate neighbourhood. This also explains their concerns and support vis-à-vis the Maldives.  

Concurring with India’s engagement with unfriendly governments in the region, 75 percent said that this tactic is a successful component of India’s Neighbourhood First policy. Hence, demonstrating their support for India's accommodative policy with the Maldives under Muizzu. A similar number of respondents also supported India's development assistance and HADR (humanitarian assistance and disaster relief) efforts, as the Maldives struggles to service its external loans and seek development assistance.  

China remains one of the crucial drivers of the youth’s perception. Today’s youth see China as the biggest challenge for India (89 percent). Nearly 87 percent are concerned about China’s rise as a major power, and see China as an immediate military threat. Eighty-one percent are very concerned or somewhat concerned about China’s control of ports in Africa and the Indian Ocean. 

As such, respondents believe China's presence and influence in South Asia is a challenge, and support India's policy to push back against China in the Maldives. Nearly 75 percent of respondents supported India’s policy to counter China's presence and inroads in the neighbourhood, and advocated for India to collaborate with like-minded countries to counter China’s Belt Road Initiative projects. 

Muizzu's policies with China have also left Indian youth equally worried. More than 71 percent are concerned about Chinese spy ships and submarine docking in the Maldives and Sri Lanka. Nearly 66 percent of respondents expressed concerns about the defence pact signed between the Maldives and China in March 2024. Furthermore, 70 percent of respondents are concerned about a debt trap in the region. These perceptions have resurfaced as external debts pile up and the Maldives struggles to service them. 

Indians also distrust China’s activities in the neighbourhood (73 percent), with only 42 percent trusting Turkiye in the region. This skepticism is likely to have increased further, with both countries siding with Pakistan against India during the recent escalations. The Muizzu government’s increasing relations and defence cooperation with both countries will hence be assessed with skepticism in India.

Indian youth view the Maldives as a crucial partner in furthering India’s regional security goals. Over 79 percent believe that exercises and joint patrolling, and 76 percent believe that developing the security and defence infrastructure of neighbouring countries could further India’s strategic and security objectives. Similarly, 69 percent believe that initiatives like the Colombo Security Conclave will further India's regional security goals.  

At a time when Indian youth entrust the Maldives to cooperate with India as a reliable security partner and distrust China and others, Muizzu’s attempt to reduce/ diversify defence and security cooperation from India, and work closely with non-regional powers, could impact this perception.  

The surveys demonstrate that young Indians are concerned about China’s increasing presence and intentions in the Maldives, even as a majority of them trust the Maldives. As Modi and Muizzu attempt to write a new chapter in India-Maldives ties, Young India will keep a closer watch on Muizzu’s policies. After all, it is their positive perception that will continue to guide people-to-people engagements and foreign policy in the future.