The paradox of India’s global rise, its regional decline

India is witnessing the simultaneous global rise and regional decline of its power.

India's Global Rise vs. Regional Decline:

• Global Rise: India's growing absolute power, peer accommodation, and active participation in global institutions like the G-20 and multilateral groups such as the Quad showcase its increasing geopolitical significance on the global stage.
• Regional Decline: Despite its global rise, India's influence in South Asia is diminishing due to factors like comparative power loss vis-à-vis China, changes in South Asian geopolitics, and the rise of China's influence in the region.

Impact of China's Rise:

• Shift in Regional Balance of Power: China's ascent in South Asia, coupled with the US withdrawal from the region and India's focus on the Indo-Pacific, has tilted the regional balance of power in Beijing's favor, prompting smaller South Asian powers to adopt strategies like balancing, bargaining, and hedging.
• Challenges for India: India must acknowledge the changing regional dynamics, focus on its strengths, and adopt proactive policies to counter China's influence in the region, including engaging in maritime opportunities, revisiting traditional conceptions of the region, and utilizing soft power diplomacy.

Utilizing Soft Power and Adaptability:

• Soft Power Utilization: India should leverage its soft power through informal contacts and conflict management initiatives to retain influence in the region, fostering dialogue and cooperation among political and civil society actors across South Asia.
• Adaptability and External Partnerships: New Delhi's openness to engaging with external partners and viewing the region through a non-India centric lens provides opportunities for addressing regional challenges and maintaining influence despite the dichotomy between global rise and regional decline.

Mains Question:

Discuss the paradox of India's foreign policy, analyzing the simultaneous global rise and regional decline of Indian power.