Indian Foreign Policy

Abstract The book explores the evolution of India’s foreign policy from its anti-colonial, ideational roots under Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to its current pragmatic and increasingly muscular foreign policy posture under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It argues that Indian foreign policy that the interaction of three factors have shaped: leadership choices, domestic political and institutional conditions, and the structure of the international system. Initially constrained by its domestic capabilities, India relied on the Non-Aligned Movement and soft power to project global influence, instead of its limited material power. However, following the end of the Cold War and a severe economic crisis in 1991, Indian policymakers transitioned towards a pragmatic strategy, opening the economy and building new strategic partnerships, notably with the United States and Israel. This account traces how successive administrations managed endemic challenges such as the rivalry with Pakistan, the rising threat from the People’s Republic of China, and domestic institutional limitations. Finally, the book examines India’s contemporary ambitions on the global stage, its navigation of a shifting international order, and the enduring institutional constraints that stand in its way to achieving global status.