India’s evolving non-alignment: From NAM to strategic autonomy amidst rising global instability

The paper explores the evolving nature of India’s strategic stand of Non-Alignment in the contemporary global order marked by increasing military and political instability, including tensions involving major powers like the United States, Russia, Ukraine, Iran and Israel. While the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) historically provided a platform for newly independent nations to navigate geopolitical divides during the Cold War, the emergence of multipolarity and strategic autonomy has led to a reassessment of its significance. There is a shift toward strategic partnerships and multi-alignment, diverging from traditional non-alignment. The paper begins with a brief historical background of NAM, an examination of the challenges to NAM post Soviet collapse and assesses the shift in India’s strategic positions in multipolar world order amidst contemporary political and military instabilities around the world.