The force of soft power

Challenges, experiences, opportunities, and imagination have shaped the India story in the soft power terrain over the 11 years of the Modi government since 2014.

- CHAITANYA K. PRASAD

Challenges, experiences, opportunities, and imagination have shaped the India story in the soft power terrain over the 11 years of the Modi government since 2014. In this period, soft power has not only emerged as a guiding force, it has become the soul of India's diplomatic strategy, propelling the country to new heights and redefining the parameters of global knowledge exchange.

The term soft power, coined by Harvard professor Joseph Nye in the 1980s, originally referred to a country's ability to shape the preferences of others through appeal and attraction, rather than coercion or force. While Nye focused largely on American cultural exports and value systems, India's approach to soft power has been more layered, rooted in its civilizational depth, democratic ethos, and an inclusive, pluralistic vision of global engagement.

Over the past decade, India has redefined this term through distinctly indigenous lenses. The collation, collaboration, and curation of new ideas, themes, and platforms have reshaped how we understand and apply soft power. From yoga and Ayurveda to cinema, cuisine, education, and digital infrastructure, India has offered a fresh 'cuisine of thought', blending tradition with modernity. These exports are not just cultural; they are connectors, linking India with people, policies, and perceptions across geographies.

India's pride of place in the global soft power discourse today is no accident. It is the result of strategic clarity, cultural confidence, and a reimagined diplomatic approach grounded in lived culture rather than formal posturing. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership has given soft power a renewed focus, anchored in participatory energy, collaboration, and innovation. What has emerged is a people-first soft power matrix, lived through festivals, amplified in films, and echoed across student exchanges, diaspora engagement, and tech-enabled global outreach.