Geopolitics: How India Operates at the World Stage

India’s stature in global politics has grown significantly under the PM Modi’s Government, and a new assertive India has become an important stakeholder in international geopolitics.

With a growing economy, India is today attracting interest from countries worldwide looking to strengthen economic and strategic ties. It also helps that more than 65% of India’s population is below 35 years, making it one of the youngest nations and promising long-term prospects for growth and economic opportunities.

Having started late in the geopolitical race, India effectively opened up to the outside World only after 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Before its fall, Soviet Union was India’s primary defence and trading partner and the mainstay of its foreign policy.

In its early years of Independence, India did not have enough national power to influence geopolitics outside the South Asia region. It had the challenge to overcome its severe political, social and economic stress and degradation, after two centuries of British rule.

The fall of the Soviet Union, the Gulf War of 1990–91 spiked up oil prices spikes and reduced home remittances from Indians overseas in the Middle East. At the time, India faced the prospect of defaulting on its loans and sought assistance from the World Bank and IMF. To secure the money from IMF, India had to introduce major reforms like market deregulation, increased foreign direct investment, and liberalisation.

With the end of the Cold War era, India gradually shifted away from the Soviet influence and liberalized its economy, India had to overhaul its foreign policy altogether.

The shift in India’s Foreign policy and geopolitical interests has been most visible after the Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014. India pursues its independent foreign policy and international engagement based on national interest, to expedite economic growth and expand defense capabilities.

While India is witnessing phenomenal growth in global politics, there is also a rapid rise of anti-India regimes in its neighbourhood. India has to delicately balance its global, regional, and local aspirations.

For India, its geopolitical objective is to India has to balance its security and economic alliances and groupings in the world power structure. Given India’s complex bilateral relations and history, India’s needs to address its geopolitical strategies at three different layers:

At the Global Level

At the Global level, India plays for multi-polarization of international power structure. After the post war era, World power structure was Bipolar with US and USSR vying for the maximum global influence and lasted through the Cold War period. After the collapse of the Soviet Union (USSR) in early 1990s, the US emerged as the sole superpower with US leading a Unipolar power structure.

However, after the global financial crisis in 2008, a complex multi-polarity has emerged in the international power structure with China emerging as a strong competition to the US. The rise of multiple power blocs in the form of EU, ASEAN, Russia, Japan, India, BRICS, IBSA, SCO, etc, has led to a complex world power structure.

On global issues, India has followed a non-alignment to multi-alignment with different countries on specific issues keeping India’s interest as paramount. During the early decades of independence, India’s adopted the policy of non-alignment and not identified with either super power, while aiming to get political, security and economic support from both USSR and the US camps.

India wants to maintain the status quo in international politics and to strengthen its economic and defence alliance. India also co-operates with the Anti-West block - Russia and China, under various frameworks like the BRICS and the Sanghai Cooperation (SCO). The I2U2 alliance - India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States has benefited tremendously.

For India, the next step to achieve its geopolitics objectives is to secure a permanent seat at the United National Security Council and it continues to engages with all member countries on the issue. It is continuously works towards Increasing its Defence capabilities and Nuclear security and build strategic partnerships with different countries.

India is also investing in diplomatic infrastructure projects and building roads, ports, and improving connectivity and trade with the wider world.

The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) involving Saudi Arabia, the European Union, India, UAE, France, Germany, Italy, and the United States, announced during the G20 Summit in New Delhi, is a reflects of its strategic ambitions.

Till date, India has not committed to any security alliance or signed any long-term treaties with any power bloc. India’s objective is to acquire its position as a mainstay of international system in the coming years.