Changing Picture of India's Foreign Policy: The Modi Way

 

Rabindranath Tagore once said that we can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water. This is even true for the present geopolitical emergence.

According to one of the Indian Express columnists Shubhajit Roy “the present geopolitical developments can be compared to the Iranian Revolution (1979) or even to the fall of the USSR (1991).” The present times are not easy for a country like India which trying to make its mark on a global scale.

Although challenges are many but their effects will directly depend on the way the country will be steered in the future geopolitical race. This blog will try to discuss and critically analyse India’s answers to contemporary geopolitical instability.

 

The Jaishankar Way: A new approach to the Foreign Policy

India’s Current foreign policy is based on some principles like building strong partnerships with like-minded countries, expanding regional outreach, increasing global footprints and strategic use of soft power. Today India is taking pragmatic decisions based on risk-benefit calculations, we all are aware of India’s recent stand on the Ukraine Crisis and our External affairs minister was right to say that India is not sitting on ‘fences’ but on its own ‘ground’! Today Defence policies are an integral part of Diplomacy…gone were the days when the army’s stand came under the direct scrutiny of the foreign ministry.

The present unpredictability has been used to enhance the credibility of the nation. Inviting a country like Egypt as a guest of honour for the republic day celebrations is a true example of India’s commitment to the global south.

Today the diaspora of the country is playing an important role in maintaining India’s Soft Power. It is indeed true that from the long-term perspective, soft power always triumphs over hard power.

Challenges to India’s Foreign Policy

The immediate challenge India faces is in the neighbourhood in form of Pakistan and China. As the erstwhile Prime Minister of India Shree Atal Bihari Vajpayee has said "You can change our friends but not neighbours." The neighbourhood crisis is the tip of the iceberg which may result in serious problems in the coming future.

Climate change, Domestic politics, and India’s too much balancing act are some problems to name a few. India has been blamed for remaining unpredictable and uncertain i.e., untrustworthy in the global sphere. A political scientist Happymon Jacob believes that India’s too much focus on the continental sphere has not yielded many great results.

Way Forward

DR. Harsh Pant in his book “The Modi Era” believes that PM Modi has become a brand Ambassador of India…selling Brand India and Inviting investments. As observed by Chanakya in his ‘Saptang theory’ regarding the role of a leader in the foreign dealing of a country. It is high time for us to strengthen our diplomatic machinery. It is no doubt that today’s India’s foreign policy is inspired by Kautilya and Chandra Gupta Maurya.