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Energy security and economic growth are interrelated. South Asia is at a critical juncture today. Development is the overriding priority for the region because of the high incidence of poverty, but energy is proving to be a critical constraint. The entire region is suffering from an acute energy crisis. Firstly, South Asian countries are confronted with the huge challenge of securing energy to sustain rapid economic growth and meeting the rising aspirations of the people. Secondly, the region is home to a huge population that lacks access to clean forms of energy. A large section of the population, particularly in rural areas lacks access to electricity and relies on the traditional use of biomass for cooking. With limited domestic energy sources, most South Asian countries are also highly dependent on energy imports, particularly crude oil, from other regions. Thirdly, on the issue of energy security SAARC, countries need to establish a platform of common interest. There are three objectives of this chapter: exploring new alternatives of energy sources of South Asian States, searching for relationship between energy security and economic growth, and re-thinking about an alternative policy options regarding energy security in South Asia.

India's relations with Gulf countries and West Asia are very old. The Middle-East region plays a significant role in India's economy, as it provides about two-thirds of India's total oil imports. Bilateral trade, especially with the U.A.E., Iran and other Middle-Eastern countries in the Persian Gulf are growing in recent years. For long times, millions of Indian migrants have been moved to search jobs in the Middle-Eastern Countries and they are considered as a significant part of the total remittance received from out of the country. On the other hand, India always maintains a balancing political strategy with the Middle Eastern countries. As such, the relationship between Israel and Palestine is known as the born enemy. But, India played a separate tactical political strategy with those countries.