POWER SHIFT

DURING THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, PM NARENDRA MODI HAS PUSHED INDIA'S GLOBAL INFLUENCE BOTH ON STRATEGIC MATTERS AS WELL AS ON THE SOFT POWER FRONT

- NIRENDRA DEV

As India’s economy continued to grow and the country engaged with the rest of the world on a more equal footing, India underwent a third evolution in the country’s strategic outlook. This shift, which is ongoing today, seeks to position India among the great powers by showcasing a willingness to take on more international responsibilities,” ran an article in The Diplomat. Undoubtedly, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and his team have displayed skills as a smart and crafty diplomatic operative. India is taking on key global responsibilities to achieve the holy grail in the international order: a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council. Modiji has been well advised by suave Foreign Minister Dr S Jaishankar and NSA Ajit Doval, a former spy.

Former Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla too was a dutiful lieutenant. Shringla is now guiding India’s management of the G20 Summit meet of 2023. History is rightly described as the most accommodating affair. Its pages are full of mortal men and women anointed with immortality. These spaces are not always given as accolades. The leaders have to earn it. During the last eight years, Modiji has pushed India's global influence both on strategic matters and also on the soft power front.