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Abstract
South Asia consists of eight countries - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. This region was termed by the colonial British as the “Indian Subcontinent” and from then on this name was used for the region for a considerable period of time before choosing a neutral term such as “South Asia.” This paper “Indian Subcontinent or South Asia?: The Politics of Nomenclature” probes the naming of the region “South Asia” and the formation of SAARC along with its realization of the objectives which is related to its naming and how this naming itself is a very problematic thing for India’s role in the SAARC activities. Moreover, the paper also explores the ways in which the term “South Asia” suits the Indian purpose in its international relations.