Claim, counterclaim: On India and foreign policy
India’s foreign policy in 2025 is shaped by assertiveness, strategic autonomy, and “multi-alignment,” with ongoing debates about its effectiveness and challenges in a shifting global order.
Claim: Assertive, Self-Reliant Foreign Policy
India now claims a muscular, self-reliant foreign policy, evolving from its earlier moral/neutrally aligned stance under Nehru. Key features claimed by India’s policymakers include:
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Safeguarding national interests and borders, especially amid persistent regional tensions (e.g., China border issues).
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Economic diplomacy for growth, focused partnership-building with major powers like the US, Russia, and the EU.
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Active global participation and leadership in forums such as G20, BRICS, QUAD, and ASEAN.
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Defense modernization, cybersecurity, and maritime security in response to new threats.
Counterclaim: Challenges, Limitations and Critique
Critical perspectives argue that India’s policy faces notable weaknesses and contradictions:
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India’s strategic autonomy is sometimes limited by excessive tilt towards the US or conflicting pulls from Russia and China.
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Policy missteps and lack of sufficient economic instruments limit effective influence in South Asia (Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan).
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Despite claims of “Neighbourhood First,” India struggles to consistently command acceptance or political primacy among smaller neighbors due to domestic constraints and competing external influences (especially China’s growing presence).
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Global realignments and crises (COVID-19, Russia-Ukraine conflict, tech decoupling) expose limits of India’s diplomatic resilience.
Evolving Principles and Strategic Tensions
India’s foreign policy roots remain entwined with Panchasheel (mutual respect, peaceful coexistence) but its strategic evolution—from non-alignment, through strategic autonomy, to multi-alignment—creates tension between ideals and pragmatic power politics.
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Non-alignment during the Cold War has given way to more nuanced multi-alignment, but critics say strategic ambiguity sometimes hampers decisive global leadership.
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India’s unique foreign policy projects (like “Project Mausam” for regional rapport) are often counterbalanced by geostrategic needs, not pure cultural diplomacy.
India’s foreign policy in 2025 is ambitious and pragmatic, aimed at balancing great power relations and national interests, but faces criticism over effectiveness, regional influence, and internal resource constraints. This dynamic interplay of claims and counterclaims remains a subject of robust domestic and international debate.
