India's Roadmap to the Global Stage

A deep dive into 75 pivotal moments that have shaped the country's foreign policy

- RAM ARA IBRAHIM

dia's foreign policy and the major events through history that shaped it are examined by Harsh V Pant and Anant Singh Mann in their recent book Power and Purpose: Rediscovering Indian Foreign Policy in Amrit Kaal. The book highlights the country's development since gaining independence in 1947 within the framework of the international system. The authors have provided this analysis through four phases or waves in the book:

Wave 1: 1947-64: Nation-building and the Peruvian Outlook Wave 2: 1964-85: Regional Consolidation and Antagonisms Wave 3: 1985-2004: Opening up to the World Wave 4: 2004-Present: On the Path to Global Leadership.

The first wave in the book takes a deep dive into Prime Minister Nehru's strategy of handling India's foreign policy. A time that was also historically turbulent with partition made the need for a foreign policy in place all the more important. A closer look at the role India played in negotiating a resolution in the Korean War also paved the way for the country to understand the need for a foreign policy. The resolution led to India figuring out how its own peace and security are also dependent on regional and international relations.