[Answered] Critically evaluate India’s need for a comprehensive National Security Strategy (NSS) in the context of its current economic ambitions and evolving geopolitical challenges. (250 words)

India’s evolving geopolitical challenges and ambitious economic goals underscore the need for a comprehensive National Security Strategy (NSS). As India seeks to transition into a $4 trillion economy, external threats and internal vulnerabilities necessitate a coordinated approach that integrates defense, diplomacy, and economic policy.

Key Considerations for India’s NSS

• Economic Ambitions and Resource Prioritization: India’s economic strength is key to its overall security. A growing economy supports defense modernization, social welfare programs, and infrastructure development. However, the country faces constrained resources, and prioritization within government budgets is essential. An NSS would help allocate resources across sectors more efficiently, ensuring balanced investment in defense, health, education, and other critical areas.
• Expanding the Scope of National Security: Traditional concepts of national security centered around military defense are no longer sufficient for India. The scope must now include cybersecurity, climate change, energy security, and economic stability. The challenges India faces require a more holistic approach to national security, encompassing both external threats and internal vulnerabilities.
• Geopolitical Dynamics and Multi-alignment: India’s geopolitical positioning necessitates a strategy of multi-alignment to balance relationships with multiple global powers. While engaging with the Quad (U.S., Japan, Australia) to counterbalance China in the Indo-Pacific, India remains involved in BRICS (Brazil, Russia, China, and South Africa) to manage economic dependencies.
• Defense Modernization and Technological Gaps: India faces significant gaps in military capabilities, particularly in the maritime domain, where its submarine strength is substantially weaker than China’s. A comprehensive NSS would prioritize defense modernization, particularly in naval and air capabilities, aligning investments with India’s geopolitical focus on the Indo-Pacific region.
• Balancing Transparency and Secrecy: A key consideration in developing India’s NSS is the balance between transparency and secrecy. While countries like the U.S. openly project their capabilities to reinforce global leadership, India’s vulnerabilities, especially in defense, make it essential to keep its strategy classified. A public NSS could expose strategic weaknesses and limit foreign policy flexibility.

Conclusion

India’s current geopolitical environment and economic ambitions necessitate the formulation of a comprehensive National Security Strategy. This strategy should go beyond traditional defense and encompass economic, technological, and internal security concerns. However, the NSS must be crafted with a careful balance of secrecy and transparency, enabling India to address its vulnerabilities without compromising its strategic interests. A well-crafted NSS will be critical for India to secure its position as a rising power while safeguarding its sovereignty and economic ambitions.