A Foreign Dilemma | 31 Jan 2023

As a junior level officer in the Indian Foreign Services (IFS), Sujeet has been posted to the embassy in a small, developing country in the African continent where his job is to assist in building relationships with the local government and promoting India’s interests in the region.

Sujeet has been called by the Ambassador who informs him that the local minister of port and shipping is willing to award a lucrative infrastructure related contract to an Indian company in exchange for a bribe of $500,000.

The ambassador further informs that the contract will be a major win for India and that the bribe is a common practice in that country.

However, in the otherwise condition, the contract may go to a Chinese company.

Sujeet is torn; on the one hand, he knows that accepting the bribe is unethical and illegal and on the other hand, he also knows that the contract will bring significant benefits to India and that bribery is a common practice in the country.

In such a condition, what do you think is the right approach that Sujeet should follow?