India’s Path to Power: Foreign Policy

• 06 Oct 2021

Why in News

Recently, a report titled “India’s Path to Power: Strategy in a World Adrift'' highlighted several foregin policy recommendations for India in the present context.

• It underlined that strategic autonomy, openness and inclusive economic growth are the key guiding principles.

Key Points

• Shift of Global Economy: With the rise of China and India, and parallel decline of European Union and US’ hegemony, the global balance of power is shifting towards Asia.
  • This gets reflected in the growing popularity of the Indo-pacific region among western countries.
• Reinforcing Multipolar World Order: There is an increasing trend towards multipolarity in Asia and the world. It is in India’s interest to reinforce this trend.
  • In this context, India should re-orient its foreign policy towards mobilising the larger constituency of developing countries and emerging economies with which it has convergent interests.
  • Such interests should be advanced through reinforcing multilateral institutions and processes.
• Maintaining Strategic Autonomy: Strategic autonomy must go in parallel with the further strengthening of partnerships with the US, Japan and Europe, which share India’s security concerns and development prospects.
  • Also, India-Russia relations will continue to be relevant in dealing with issues in the region and in responding to global challenges.
• Keeping Up With Globalisation: Even though in some respects, globalisation may have stalled, in the past and in the coming future, it will be driven by rapid technological advancement.
  • Therefore, in order to enhance its economic prospects and improve the welfare of its people, India must maintain an outward orientation of its economy.
• Managing the Neighbourhood First: If India wants to play an expanded regional & global role and become a net security provider, it needs to better manage the threats and opportunities emanating from neighbouring countries.
  • In this context, India should deal with the Chinese challenge.
    • This is because China acknowledges that India is the only country in the neighbourhood with the comparable area, population, history, manpower, and scientific and technological capabilities, who can surpass it.
  • It also asserted that China-Pakistan collusion demands India to adopt a politically guided strategic approach.
• Preventing Domestic Politics Affecting Foreign Policy: There have been several instances where many countries have cited reservations to various domestic policies of India. Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 is an example.
  • In this context, domestic policies should reflect inclusivity, reducing inequalities, and delivering core responsibilities of health, education and public security to all its citizens.
  • Also, there is a need to realise that India’s innate cosmopolitanism is derived from its extraordinary diversity.

Source: IE