India?s Path to Power

India’s Path to Power 

News: Recently, a report titled “India’s Path to Power: Strategy in a World Adrift'' highlighted several foreign policy recommendations for India in the present context. It underlined that strategic autonomy, openness and inclusive economic growth are the key guiding principles. 

Details: 
• With the rise of China and India, and parallel decline of European Union and US’ hegemony, the global balance of power is shifting towards Asia. 
• This gets reflected in the growing popularity of the Indo-pacific region among western countries.There is an increasing trend towards multipolarity in Asia and the world. It is in India’s interest to reinforce this trend. 
• In this context, India should re-orient its foreign policy towards mobilising the larger constituency of developing countries and emerging economies with which it has convergent interests. 
• Such interests should be advanced through reinforcing multilateral institutions and processes. 
• Strategic autonomy must go in parallel with the further strengthening of partnerships with the US, Japan and Europe, which share India’s security concerns and development prospects.Also, India-Russia relations will continue to be relevant in dealing with issues in the region and in responding to global challenges. 
• Even though in some respects, globalisation may have stalled, in the past and in the coming future, it will be driven by rapid technological advancement.Therefore, in order to enhance its economic prospects and improve the welfare of its people, India must maintain an outward orientation of its economy. 
• If India wants to play an expanded regional & global role and become a net security provider, it needs to better manage the threats and opportunities emanating from neighbouring countries.In this context, India should deal with the Chinese challenge.This is because China acknowledges that India is the only country in the neighbourhood with the comparable area, population, history, manpower, and scientific and technological capabilities, who can surpass it. 
• It also asserted that China-Pakistan collusion demands India to adopt a politically guided strategic approach. 
• There have been several instances where many countries have cited reservations to various domestic policies of India. Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 is an example.In this context, domestic policies should reflect inclusivity, reducing inequalities, and delivering core responsibilities of health, education and public security to all its citizens.Also, there is a need to realise that India’s innate cosmopolitanism is derived from its extraordinary diversity.