By Lt. Gen. K.R.Rao (Retd)
The world is witnessing a transformation and the changes in the recent past impact India in many ways. The global order has been shifting from unipolarity, which was the domain of the United States after the Cold War, to a multipolar system where multiple nations exert influence.
Countries like China, India, Russia, and the European Union are asserting greater geopolitical and economic influence. Of late, we do witness the show of military strength too by China. What is clearly visible is that while the U.S. remains a dominant force, its unilateral influence has gradually weakened due to economic shifts, military challenges, and diplomatic realignments, more so with emerging new order under Donald Trump.
It is extremely important to focus on the elements which show the pathway to emergence of a nation to the centre stage. The power of a nation on the global stage comes from a combination of varied factors, such as Economic Strength, Military Capability, Diplomatic, Political Technological Advancement, Cultural Influence, Natural Resources, Geographical Advantage Demographics & Human Capital, and Energy Independence.
Of late, we do observe that many countries are exercising strategic autonomy and pursuing independent foreign policies, balancing relations with multiple powers based on transactional alignments rather than aligning with a single dominant force. Regional alliances and blocks have come to stay with organisations like BRICS, SCO, and I2U2 which are fostering diversified partnerships. The global economy is no longer centred around the U.S. Emerging markets are playing a crucial role in trade and investment. The latest to this is the new twist given by the American President on tariffs which has created a turmoil in many countries.
In this emerging scenario, there are noticeably clear and strong implications for India, be it pursuing of greater strategic autonomy or in expanding trade partnerships and supply chain diversification and most importantly address the security challenges which are ever changing which require careful diplomatic manoeuvrings and avoiding power games of bigger players. So, the multipolar world presents both opportunities and challenges, requiring India to adapt to evolving geopolitical dynamics.
While India is not yet a unipolar power, it has the potential and is on the way to emerge as one of the strongest poles in the multipolar world. India has some formidable challenges in emergence as a part of unipolar player. China's economic and military strength remains a major factor in global power balance. There are also these geopolitical complexities, and India must navigate regional conflicts, trade dependencies, and diplomatic challenges. Despite fanatical support from the U.S., U.K., France, and Russia, China opposes India's bid to the permanent seat of UN, fearing a shift in regional power dynamics. Additionally, some nations advocate for UNSC expansion without veto power, which India opposes. India's push for UNSC permanent membership faces opposition from certain global players and these must be manoeuvred in the best feasible way.
However, what cannot be wished away is the fact that India is expected to be one of the top three economic powers in the next 10-15 years thus making it a key player in global trade and investment. India has been very sensitively balancing its relations with the U.S., Russia, China, and the EU, ensuring it remains independent in global decision-making. India is expanding its military capabilities, defence exports, and maritime presence, reinforcing its global security role. India is actively participating in G20, BRICS, Quad, and SCO, shaping global policies. India is one of the key players in renewable energy and digital transformation, influencing global sustainability efforts. Hence the time has come for exhibiting India's ability to project power.
India must further strengthen its global influence by focusing on key strategic areas. Though it has been strengthening manufacturing & exports through initiatives like Make in India, we have a long way to go in expanding participation in global trade agreements and free trade partnerships. We do have to find ways in expanding relations with emerging economies in Africa and Latin America, which show a promising future.
We are not too far in expanding India's role as a global defence exporter. We must take some bold steps with long time horizon. Our technological advantage must be harnessed in developing innovative AI, quantum computing, and semiconductor production. We must continue to cash on our strengths by leveraging Bollywood, Yoga, cuisine, and literature to shape global cultural narratives.
India's diplomatic growth has been rapidly growing. India now is being identified as a force to reckon with because of its independent path on host of issues. Huge strides have been made under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi duly supported by our foreign minister S Jaishankar.
India's economic growth is driven by several key factors, like a young and growing workforce, technological standing, fast growing infrastructure development, the policy land and labour reforms, taxation, and capital market reforms to attract investments. India's economy is expected to continue growing rapidly, with strong domestic demand and government initiatives supporting long-term prosperity. These reforms have strengthened India's economic resilience and positioned it as a leading global market.
India's military growth as a world power has started focussing on several key areas like Advancing capabilities in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Hypersonic, Cyber Warfare, and Robotics to stay ahead in modern warfare. Other focussed areas are indigenous defence manufacturing, strategic naval expansion, investing in drones, missile defence, and space-based surveillance, defence acquisition reforms and evolution of Integrated Theatre Commands. India is already making strides in these areas, shifting from an arms importer to a major exporter and expanding its defence production.
Although India has made significant strides in global power, but it still faces several challenges which are under way and being addressed though slowly. These are:
In governance issues, bureaucratic inefficiencies of slow decision-making, over centralisation and regulatory hurdles which affect business and diplomacy, corruption & policy uncertainty which hinder foreign investment and economic reforms and quite sadly the judicial backlogs which impact business confidence and dispute resolution.
Important geopolitical & security challenges are the border disputes with China and Pakistan, conflicts in South Asia impact India's strategic focus and the limited military power projection wherein India's navy and air force are growing but lack global reach compared to the U.S. and China.
There are yet some technological & innovation gaps. India needs to invest more in research funding. Service-sector growth limits industrial competitiveness. Vulnerabilities in digital infrastructure pose national security threats.
Few of the economic vulnerabilities are the income inequality and wealth distribution, India reliance foreign energy and defence imports, affecting self-sufficiency and the infrastructure gaps which are still lag global standards.
Global perception remains that while India has strong cultural influence, it lacks the diplomatic reach of Western nations, which is strongly being addressed and is also being proven to be false. In education & human capital skill gaps and education quality affect workforce competitiveness. We are addressing many of these challenges through reforms and strategic initiatives.
China's economic and military strength remains a major factor in the global power balance, posing significant challenges to India's aspirations. India also faces geopolitical complexities, including regional conflicts, trade dependencies, and diplomatic challenges. Border disputes with China and Pakistan impact India's strategic focus. Pakistan's close ties with China and other countries can create obstacles for India in international forums and negotiations. Bangladesh's proximity to China and its anti-India rhetoric can complicate India's efforts to expand its influence. India needs to carefully manoeuvre its diplomatic relationships and regional conflicts to address these challenges.
India is on its way to becoming a significant global power. Despite challenges like border disputes, economic vulnerabilities, and technological gaps, India is making progress in various areas. The country is expanding its military capabilities, growing its economy and strengthening its diplomatic relationships, under the leadership of Narendra Modi and duly supported by Foreign Minister. India needs to address issues like religious tensions and internet censorship to improve its global image. While the exact timeline for India to be fully recognised as a global power is uncertain, its continued growth and strategic initiatives are positioning it as a key player in the multipolar world.
India as a nation has surpassed many, making a mark in this emerging unipolar world. We must not forget that the players ahead of us will either increase the gap or will attempt to thwart our attempts and as such we should not be oblivious of the same. In essence, Chanakya's philosophy on emerging as a global power which emphasises a holistic approach that combines strong leadership, strategic planning, economic strength, military preparedness, and a focus on the welfare of the people, will continue to remain relevant all the more even now.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of ETV Bharat)
