[Answered] In an era of demanding bilateralism, India’s strategic interests are increasingly served by ‘small tables’ and ‘diplomatic white spaces.’ Analyze this shift towards minilateralism and evaluate its potential in securing high strategic dividends for India in a multipolar world.

Introduction

By 2026, deepening great-power rivalry, WTO paralysis, and UN gridlock have compelled India to shift from rigid multilateralism towards agile minilateral ‘small tables’ that promise speed, flexibility, and strategic returns.

Shift from Demanding Bilateralism to Minilateral ‘Small Tables’

1. Structural Fatigue: Traditional bilateral diplomacy with major powers has become increasingly transactional, marked by tariff threats, technology controls, and geopolitical conditionalities, constraining India’s policy autonomy.
2. Multilateral Dysfunction: Consensus-based institutions like the WTO Appellate Body and UNSC have been paralysed by veto politics, making them ineffective for timely rule-making or crisis response.
3. Minilateral Efficiency: Small, interest-based coalitions such as the Quad, I2U2, and IMEC enable faster coordination, limited membership, and outcome-oriented cooperation without unanimity constraints.
4. Strategic Flexibility: Minilateralism allows India to practise multi-alignment, engaging different partners across security, trade, and technology domains without binding alliance commitments.

Diplomatic White Spaces as New Arenas of Indian Leadership

1. Conceptual Space: Diplomatic white spaces are governance gaps where global problems exist but leadership is absent, allowing India to emerge as a convenor and agenda-setter.
2. Global South Bridging: Through initiatives like the Voice of Global South Summits, India has positioned itself as a bridge between developed economies and developing countries.
3. Digital Public Infrastructure: India’s DPI model—UPI, Aadhaar, and CoWIN—has been recognised by the World Bank as a scalable global public good, filling a governance vacuum in digital inclusion.
4. Climate Minilateralism: Platforms like the International Solar Alliance and Global Biofuels Alliance allow India to shape climate action narratives aligned with developmental realities.

Strategic Payoffs of ‘Small Tables’ for India

1. Europe De-Risking: Engagement with the EU through trade and regulatory diplomacy strengthens supply-chain resilience and hedges against U.S. protectionism and China-centric dependencies.
2. Quad as Public Goods Provider: The Quad’s focus on maritime domain awareness, HADR, and resilient infrastructure reinforces India’s role as a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific.
3. BRICS Functionalism: India’s leadership in BRICS aims to shift the grouping from ideological posturing to delivery-oriented development finance and institutional reform.
4. Norm-Shaping Capacity: Small tables enable India to influence emerging norms in AI governance, climate finance, and supply-chain security before rules are locked in by major powers.

Constraints and Cautions in the Minilateral Strategy

1. Coordination Overload: Managing multiple minilateral platforms strains diplomatic capacity and requires sustained bureaucratic coherence.
2. Risk of Exclusion: Excessive reliance on selective groupings may alienate neighbours and dilute inclusive multilateral legitimacy.
3. Delivery Deficit: Without institutionalisation, minilateral forums risk degenerating into declaratory talk shops.

Conclusion

Echoing President Droupadi Murmu’s call for ‘solution-oriented leadership,’ India’s future influence lies not in size of forums but in delivering outcomes—proving, as Hedley Bull argued, order flows from practice, not power.