TRENDS, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF INDIA’S FOREIGN POLICY 2014 TO 2024
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69980/p298pe43Abstract
Between 2014 and 2024, India's foreign policy experienced a dramatic change driven by a rapidly shifting global order, changing national goals, and new geopolitical realities. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's direction, a more assertive, strategically independent, and interest-driven diplomatic framework was solidified over this decade. The change from "Look East" to "Act East," the revitalization of relations with the United States, the expansion of involvement in the Indo-Pacific, the fortification of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), and a renewed focus on the Global South were among the major trends. Through programs like "Neighbourhood First," India's neighbourhood diplomacy aimed to increase economic integration, security cooperation, and regional connectivity. However, it also had to deal with issues like border tensions, Pakistan-centric security concerns, and China's strategic rise. Key foreign policy instruments include energy security, digital collaborations, diaspora participation, economic diplomacy, and climate negotiations. But India also faced a number of difficulties, such as managing reputational perceptions in relation to domestic political events, navigating the Russia-Ukraine conflict, opposing China's Belt and Road Initiative, responding to global supply-chain disruptions, and striking a balance with rival global powers. However, these difficulties also brought about new opportunities, including strategic technology cooperation, leadership in multilateral forums like the G20, the growth of defence alliances, a renewed emphasis on the Indian Ocean Region, and India's ascent as a responsible voice of emerging countries. All things considered, India's foreign policy from 2014 to 2024 shows a complex interaction between resiliency, ambition, and pragmatism, establishing the nation as a rising global force influencing a multipolar international order.
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