India's Strategic Reset Amid Fractured Global Geopolitics

India’s geopolitical approach is under scrutiny following recent diplomatic setbacks and shifting global power equations post Operation Sindoor and amid deepening U.S.-China dynamics.

Diplomatic Strains with Strategic Partners

• Lack of Diplomatic Support During Operation Sindoor: Despite clear evidence of Pakistan’s involvement in the Pahalgam attack, many of India’s strategic partners, including the U.S., refrained from condemning Pakistan, underlining a deficit in mutual trust.
• US Trade Pressure Post-NISAR Launch: On the same day India-U.S. collaboration culminated in the NISAR satellite launch, the U.S. imposed a 25% tariff on Indian goods and linked Russian oil imports to punitive trade actions, reflecting transactional diplomacy.
• Erosion of Regional Trust Post-Galwan: U.S. posture in South Asia—reviving ties with Pakistan, supporting opposition in Bangladesh and Myanmar—has heightened India’s strategic concerns despite prior military and diplomatic engagements.

Western Hypocrisy and Economic Targeting

• Selective Sanctions on Energy Security: While India is targeted over Russian oil, EU nations like Hungary and Belgium continue to import Russian LNG with exemptions, exposing duplicity in sanction regimes.
• Non-Tariff Trade Barriers by the EU: The EU’s carbon border tax, digital service taxes, and sanctions on India’s Vadinar Refinery during India-EU BTIA talks signal disregard for India’s energy and trade sensitivities.
• Technology and Trade Contradictions by the U.S.: Despite blocking Indian imports of Russian goods, the U.S. permitted Nvidia to resume AI chip sales to China, contradicting its stated security concerns and undermining India’s tech interests.

China’s Strategic Encirclement and India’s Policy Dilemmas

• China's Renewed Push in India's Neighbourhood: Beijing proposed a new trilateral with Pakistan and Bangladesh, revived airbases near the Siliguri Corridor, and supported Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, complicating India’s regional calculus.
• Supply Chain Vulnerabilities and Border Provocations: China’s control over rare earths, APIs, and essential machinery, coupled with dam construction near the Brahmaputra and renaming of Arunachal locations, indicates a calibrated pressure strategy.
• India’s Passive Stance on Global Conflicts: India’s silence on the Israel-Gaza and Ukraine conflicts has limited its diplomatic leverage; Operation Sindoor has demonstrated that reciprocal support cannot be expected without proactive engagement.

Practice Question:

In a fragmented global order, assess the strategic consequences of India’s passive engagement in global conflicts. How should India recalibrate its geopolitical posture to secure its economic and security interests?    (250 words)