[Answered] Amidst NATO threats on business with Russia, India emphasizes its national interests. Analyze how India navigates complex geopolitics, maintaining strategic autonomy while securing its energy needs and foreign policy objectives.

Introduction

India’s foreign policy is guided by strategic autonomy, aimed at balancing great power interests while securing national imperatives such as energy security, defence, and economic stability.

India’s Energy Diplomacy: Balancing Realism with Autonomy

1. Prioritizing Affordable Energy Access: India, the third-largest energy consumer globally, relies on crude imports for over 85% of its oil needs. After the Ukraine war, India capitalized on discounted Russian crude—Russian oil constituted 35% of India’s total imports in 2023–24, up from 2% pre-war—ensuring fuel price stability and macroeconomic resilience.
2. MEA’s Firm Rebuttal Reflects Policy Sovereignty: In response to NATO Secretary General’s warning of secondary sanctions, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) emphasized energy needs and decried Western double standards. India highlighted that European nations, while sanctioning Russia, simultaneously increased their own LNG and refined product imports from alternate channels, including India.
3. Refined Fuels Loophole and Economic Gains: A Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) report revealed that by late 2024, India had become the EU’s largest exporter of refined petroleum, much of it processed from Russian crude. Thus, India turned a geopolitical fault line into an economic advantage, while indirectly aiding Western energy demands without breaching international law.

Maintaining Strategic Autonomy Amidst Global Polarization

1. Non-Aligned Yet Engaged: Independent Foreign Policy: India’s refusal to join Western sanctions on Russia, abstaining in UN votes, and engaging both Russia and the West exemplify its Nehruvian non-alignment reimagined. India engages in QUAD with the US, Japan, and Australia, yet simultaneously upholds robust defence and energy ties with Russia, a longstanding partner.
2. S-400 Missile Deal and Defence Sovereignty: The S-400 Triumf deal, signed with Russia despite threats under the US CAATSA law, demonstrated India’s commitment to diversified defence sourcing. During “Operation Sindoor,” the S-400 played a crucial role in India’s layered air defence, proving the operational value of strategic diversification.
3. Expanding the Energy Basket to Preempt Sanction Risks: Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri noted India’s diversification strategy—sourcing crude from over 30 countries including the US, Iraq, UAE, and Nigeria—preparing India against any unilateral sanctions. The Indian Oil Corporation and other PSUs have also inked long-term contracts with Latin American and African nations.

India as a Voice of the Global South

1. Championing Multipolarity at Global Forums: At BRICS, SCO, and G20, India advocates for equitable energy transitions and non-politicized trade. India’s G20 Presidency emphasized inclusive global governance and defended the right of sovereign nations to pursue development without coercive restrictions.
2. Diplomatic Engagements to Balance Geostrategic Pressures: India has intensified bilateral dialogues with EU, US, and Russia, ensuring channels of communication remain open even in contentious times. Its “Strategic Autonomy 2.0” approach ensures that India is not seen as aligned or non-aligned, but self-aligned.

Conclusion

India’s geopolitical posture reflects pragmatic realism—upholding sovereign interests while navigating global power rivalries. Strategic autonomy, energy pragmatism, and diplomatic maturity define India’s balanced approach to an increasingly polarized world.