Power and Purpose: Rediscovering Indian Foreign Policy in Amrit Kaal
By Harsh V. Pant and Anant Singh Mann
Rupa Publications, 288 pages, Rs 595

Taking the readers on an insightful journey through 75 pivotal moments that have shaped India’s foreign policy since 1947, ‘Power and Purpose: Rediscovering Indian Foreign Policy in Amrit Kaal’ serves not only as a valuable resource for academic research but also as an accessible guide for the general public. It offers objective and succinct analyses of key events in India’s foreign policy landscape.

The analyses are provided through a periodization of four waves: it starts with the era of state building and the Nehruvian outlook, followed by a period of regional consolidation and antagonisms; the third wave navigates through a phase when India was just opening up to the world, paving the way for transformative progress that has led it to its fourth and current wave, setting India on the path to global leadership. This journey from the past to the present fulfils two other purposes. First, it aims to provide the reader with objective insights into what created and shaped contemporary Indian foreign policy. This fuels its second purpose, wherein it aims to provide a window into contemporary foreign policy for future analysts to broadly understand how Indian foreign policy was perceived 75 years post its Independence, as it entered the next phase of Amrit Kaal.

This will be possible by analyzing the biases behind the curation of events this book has collated through its presentism, as many events may lose their significance in the years to come, while others may grow in their relevance. These variances will essentially represent the delta between contemporary Indian foreign policy and its subsequent formulations at infinite points of time in the future. Whether you are a student, a researcher, or simply curious about India’s role on the global stage, this book invites you to explore the complexities of Indian foreign policy and reflect on the lasting impact of historical decisions on our collective future.

The authors – Harsh V. Pant, vice president for studies and foreign policy at Observer Research Foundation (ORF), New Delhi, and Anant Singh Mann, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts – present a reader-friendly overview of the evolution of India’s foreign policy.

Here is an excerpt from the book:

INDIA’S G20 PRESIDENCY

India assumed G20 presidency on 1 December 2022, prioritizing a ‘reformed’ and ‘reinvigorated’ multilateralism to address various global challenges such as recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, debt issues in developing nations, and climate change. At the G20 Summit of September 2023, organized according to the theme of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, India sought to offer the world an alternative to the crisis-ridden status quo, a shift in the global conversation from ‘GDP centrism’ to ‘human centrism’. India aimed to bridge the divide among countries, amplify the voice of the Global South, and focus on development. India’s G20 presidency also displayed its soft-power potential, as more than 200 official events were organized in different parts of the country highlighting its diverse cuisine, ancient traditions and modern innovations.

During its presidency, India hosted the ‘Voice of the Global South Summit’, bringing together 125 developing nations and setting the tone for a G20 where the concerns and priorities of the Global South were brought to the forefront of international discourse. A significant strategic win for India in mainstreaming the voice of the Global South lay in it securing a permanent membership for the African Union at G20, which had hitherto been accused of ‘elite multilateralism’. This move did not just strengthen the G20’s reach and inclusivity, but also ensured that the G20 prioritized the development efforts of the least developed countries.

The New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration (NDLD), adopted at the end of the summit, aimed to triple the global renewable energy capacity by 2030 and proposed the Green Development Pact to balance environmental protection with food security. India also generated consensus on implementing the 2023 Action Plan to Accelerate Progress on SDGs, by setting up a New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance from a floor of $100 billion a year. In this context, India co-launched the Global Biofuel Alliance to expedite the global uptake of biofuels. The Declaration also committed to embracing ‘Lifestyles for Sustainable Environment’ (LiFE) principles, which promoted sustainable production and consumption to reduce carbon emissions. India showcased its achievements in digital welfare infrastructure (Aadhar and United Payments Interface) to secure the commitment of leaders to establish a global digital public infrastructure (DPI), to reduce the digital divide and enable service delivery and innovation.

Russia’s absence at the summit made addressing the Ukraine conflict difficult in the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration. For India, it was a test of its long-standing commitment to ‘strategic autonomy’ or ‘omni-alignment’, evading the connotations of being ‘anti-West’ from its criticism of the war. By doing so, India also risked isolation from anti-Western groups like SCO and BRICS, whose presidency it was about to assume. However, in a seasoned display of its diplomatic manoeuvre, India emerged as a ‘Vishwamitra’ in building consensus on both sides. While Russia found satisfaction in the fact that its direct mention was avoided, with the statement referring to ‘the war in Ukraine’ instead, the Western nations had the assurance of the statement echoing UN Charter principles urging all states to refrain from using force for territorial gain or violating another state’s sovereignty. This also served as a subtle message to India’s neighbour China, which chose to opt out of the summit owing to contemporary border tensions. Moreover, the omission of Ukrainian President Zelenskyy from the summit’s guest list underscored New Delhi’s renewed push for a return to the G20’s core focus on economic concerns. The unanimous adoption of the NDLD by all G20 members stands as a testament to India’s multilateral prowess, marking the success of its presidency.

In addition to its global impact, India’s G20 presidency has left a lasting legacy, as highlighted by Italy’s emphasis on including the African Union and the Global South in the upcoming G7 summit. Thus, India’s G20 presidency was not merely a successful international summit, but also a transformative moment on the world stage. The ‘People’s G20’ moniker aptly captures the essence of this leadership, as it emerges as an eminent voice of the Global South. This global recognition from leaders like President Biden, who in his UN address commended the India-led G20 for delivering solutions and achieving ground-breaking feats, solidified India’s position as a leading power, with a vision for a more inclusive and sustainable future. As India steps down from the G20 presidency, the world undoubtedly sees it in a new light: a responsible and influential player shaping the narrative of the emerging global order.

[The excerpt reproduced with the permission of the publishers.]