Mains Practice Questions

Introduction

In an era characterized by 'poly-crises' and fractured multilateralism, India’s foreign policy has pivoted from the moralistic hesitation of Non-Alignment to the strategic realism of Multi-alignment. India has firmly established itself as a 'Vishwa Bandhu' (Global Friend).

Body:

Impact on:

• Engagement with Major Powers:
  • India’s relations with major powers are now characterized by issue-based convergence rather than systemic alliance, allowing for simultaneous engagement with competing blocs.
  • The United States (Transactional Partnership): 2026 marks a shift where economic friction is balanced by strategic necessity.
    • The February 2026 India-US Trade Deal, which slashed tariffs to 18% in exchange for a $500 billion energy and tech commitment, shows India is willing to trade energy concessions (reducing Russian oil) for manufacturing survival.
  • Russia (The Continental Stabilizer): Despite Western pressure, India maintains its "Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership."
    • This is a pragmatic hedge to prevent a total Sino-Russian "no-limits" alliance, which remains India’s primary continental nightmare.
  • China (Managed Competition): Post-2024 de-escalation, India follows a "Cold Peace" strategy cautious economic re-engagement (e.g., China easing curbs on fertilizers and tunnel-boring machines in 2025) while maintaining high military readiness to counter China's "Grey Zone" tactics.
• Engagement With Regional And Multilateral Groupings
  • Flexible Multilateralism And Issue-Based Participation: India selectively engages regional groupings based on functional interests rather than bloc politics.
    • Active participation in both the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (maritime security) and BRICS (development finance) reflects pragmatic multilateralism.
  • Enhanced Regional Leadership Role: Pragmatic engagement strengthens India’s image as a reliable, non-coercive partner in its neighbourhood and extended regions.
    • Development assistance, disaster relief, and capacity-building in the Indian Ocean Region as a Voice of Global South reinforce India’s leadership beyond ideological considerations.
  • Greater Space In Global Rule-Shaping: Participation across diverse groupings allows India to influence global norms on trade, climate, and development.
    • Engagement with the European Union and the G20 enables India to shape debates on supply chains, digital public infrastructure, and climate finance.

Analysis: Advantages and Vulnerabilities

Measures To Strengthen Pragmatic Engagement

• Clear Strategic Communication: India must consistently articulate that its multi-alignment is a deliberate strategy rooted in national interest, not ambiguity.
  • Transparent communication builds credibility and manages partner expectations.
• Deepening Economic Statecraft: Economic engagement should become the backbone of diplomacy through trade agreements, resilient supply chains, and investment partnerships.
  • Economic interdependence strengthens strategic relationships. FTAs, infrastructure partnerships, and technology collaboration can anchor long-term ties.
• Issue-Based Coalition Building: Leading or co-leading coalitions on global challenges allows India to shape outcomes without rigid alignments. Functional cooperation enhances global relevance.
  • Areas such as climate action, digital public infrastructure, health security, and disaster resilience offer high convergence.
• Strengthening Neighbourhood First And Act East Policies: Sustained development, connectivity, and capacity-building in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific reinforce India’s regional leadership. A stable neighbourhood enhances strategic autonomy.
• Institutional Capacity Enhancement: Strengthening the diplomatic corps, trade expertise, and strategic planning institutions ensures coherence between foreign policy objectives and domestic capabilities.
  • Integrated policy planning enhances consistency and effectiveness in pragmatic engagement.

Conclusion :

India’s foreign policy pragmatism reflects a mature pursuit of strategic autonomy in a fragmented, multipolar world. By prioritising national interest over ideological alignment, India enhances flexibility, resilience, and global relevance. The challenge ahead lies in converting this pragmatic engagement into sustained economic strength, regional leadership, and long-term strategic influence.