A quiet but decisive shift in Indian foreign policy

A quiet but decisive shift in India’s foreign policy

News: The article discusses the change Indian foreign policy has experienced from non-alignment to issue based alignment.

Facts:

• Implying a significant shift in foreign policy, foreign secretary during the 2019 Raisina Dialogue remarked that “India has moved on from its non-aligned past and today is an aligned state but based on issues, for example signing of LEMOA with US on defence.
• India’s role in the G-20 and the Indo-Pacific would signal the changing priorities of the Indian foreign policy establishment.
• India aspires to be a leading power, rather than just a balancing power and as a consequence, it is willing “to shoulder greater global responsibilities”.
• As a result, India’s hyper-energetic diplomacy places an emphasis on the nation’s soft power attributes from yoga and spiritualism to the diaspora.
• The government is redefining ‘strategic autonomy’ as an objective that is attainable through strengthened partnerships rather than the avoidance of partnerships.
• Today India’s engagement with the “Quad”, enhances its strategic autonomy vis-à-vis China and its engagement with Russia and China for a trilateral, enhances its strategic autonomy vis-à-vis US.
• India is charting new foreign policy, based on the belief that rather than proclaiming non-alignment as an end in itself, India needs deeper engagement with its friends and partners to develop leverage in its dealings with its competitors.