India Foreign Policy: Idealism only goes so far in foreign policy. The opposing ideologies of intellectuals such as Thomas Hobbes and Immanuel Kant are the source of the dichotomy between idealism and realism. Kant was a quintessential idealist who thought that democracy and international collaboration might lead to enduring peace and that human nature is inherently good. His perspective is consistent with the idea that the only factors that should influence foreign policy are morality and collective security.
India’s Longstanding Alliance with Russia
India has kept close connections with Russia, a longtime ally and major supplier of energy and military hardware, despite its apparent recent tendencies towards the United States. India and the US have become closer due to growing economic ties, defence collaboration, and shared concerns about China and terrorism.
Russia continues to be a significant supplier of military gear, making up more than 60% of India’s imports for the defence industry. India and Russia have strong and long-standing relations. India has recently depended on Russian energy that is subsidised, and it is also a significant partner in terms of energy security.
India and Middle East Relations
Since ancient times, India and the Middle East have maintained close ties. Egypt, Sudan, and Oman are just a few of the nations in the region in which India has invested. India and the area have historically had cultural links.
In February 2022, India and the United Arab Emirates inked a comprehensive economic partnership agreement that removed tariffs on around 80% of imports. Relationships between India and the Gulf states—Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in particular—have strengthened since Prime Minister Narendra Modi was elected.
Pessimistic View of Human Nature
Nonetheless, Hobbes’ realist perspective offered a more pessimistic assessment of human nature, which was summed up in his well-known characterization of existence in a state of nature as “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”.
According to Hobbes’ theory of realism, which was later expanded upon by academics like Hans Morgenthau and Kenneth Waltz, governments must prioritise obtaining power and security in order to survive in chaotic international systems. While values and ethics are admirable, this school of thought contends that they can be dangerously naive in the field of international relations, where power politics predominate.
Evolution of India’s Global Position
India and the rest of the globe are not the same now. Non-alignment ruled Nehru’s foreign policy. In general, the Soviet Union and the United States were engaged in a cold war. However, the modern world presents numerous difficulties. Let us inform you that China has become a highly powerful nation in the modern era. Additionally, The dragon nation hostile opinions about India. As a result, foreign policy ought to take current demands and difficulties into account. The same is true of PM Modi’s foreign policy.
India’s Realistic Approach
India’s foreign policy now takes a realistic stance that strikes a balance between idealism and reality. Reinhold Niebuhr, an American political scientist who favoured finding a middle ground, supported such a practical approach. Niebuhr understood both the pragmatic constraints of real-world politics and the moral obligations of idealism.
He thought that in a world where good and evil are deeply entwined, moral absolutes are not always applicable. Niebuhr wrote this in the framework of politics, religion, and ethics, but it also has ramifications for foreign policy. He would have maintained that moral standards need to be implemented while taking into account the intricate power structures and dynamics of international politics.
A Decade of Transformation
India’s foreign policy has changed during the past ten years, moving away from the idealistic remnants of its past and towards a hard-hitting realism. India has shed its idealistic Nehruvian exterior and is now a formidable force on the world stage, pursuing pragmatic interests and power with a clear head.
It’s a position of harsh pragmatism, where moralities yield to the icy calculation of national interest, reflecting a world in which alliances are a moving target and the nation’s unwavering pursuit of its own strategic objectives is the only thing that never changes. India has opted to play this high-stakes game of global positioning with a deep awareness of realpolitik’s rules.
India’s Dual Approach to Superpower Alliances
India has undoubtedly leaned more towards the United States in recent times, but it has still remained close to Russia, a longtime friend and important supplier of oil and military hardware. India and the US have become closer due to growing economic ties, defence collaboration, and shared concerns about China and terrorism.
The strategic alliance between the United States and India has flourished, involving cooperative space exploration, knowledge exchange, and combined military drills. The two nations’ cooperation on the Quad and I2U2 groups, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), and other initiatives demonstrate how much their relationship has grown over the past few years.
Another arena in which India’s pragmatism is evident is the G20. The nation is not afraid to advocate for more equitable representation for developing countries and for changes to be implemented in multilateral development banks (MDBs). This is about creating equal opportunities for India’s economic growth, not only about ideals.
Russia-India Defense Ties
In the meantime, more than 60% of India’s defence imports come from Russia, which continues to be a major supplier of military gear. In the past several months, India has depended on cheap Russian electricity, making it a crucial ally in the fight for energy security.
India has taken on the role of the Global South’s loudhailer in multilateral fora, representing developing countries’ worries about things like economic inequality and climate change. India has gained allies and respect as a result of its moral leadership, demonstrating that pragmatism can also include compassion.
India’s Driving Force in Foreign Policy
India’s strong economic foundation is a primary justification for the country’s strategic and practical approach to foreign policy. India is a market that countries are keen to identify themselves with, as it is one of the world’s largest and fastest growing economies.
India’s economy is expected to become the second largest in the world by 2075, according to a recent study by Goldman Sachs. Acknowledging the reciprocal advantages that arise from fortifying diplomatic and economic bonds, nations over the globe concur that cultivating and augmenting connections with India is imperative.
India’s Foundation for Foreign Policy
India maintains a practical foundation for foreign policy and does it with considerable pride and assertiveness. The answer is crystal plain to those who doubt India’s ambitions to become a superpower and the advantages that come with it: India puts its inhabitants’ wellbeing and aspirations above all else.
Lessons from 1984 for Critics of India’s Practical Strategy
It would be wise for critics who are quick to preach morality through their criticism to read George Orwell’s groundbreaking novel 1984. The novel’s disturbing depiction of Oceania, where powerful people twist morality and the facts to keep hold of power, is a reflection of the hypocrisy that permeates many Western countries. Even if these nations publicly espouse the values of liberty and moral rectitude, they regularly succumb to the same pragmatism and self-interest that they criticise, particularly when such values are at risk.
They may outspokenly support moral behaviour and call on countries such as India to follow virtuous paths. However, when their own national interests are under jeopardy, their actions frequently reveal a self-interested drive hidden under a mask of idealistic pretences.
The disparity between their stated principles and their real conduct exposes a double standard, highlighting the need for India to continue using its practical strategy in order to protect its independence and the well-being of its people.