India's diplomatic horizon extends beyond America

Strategic autonomy and multi-alignment have been guiding principles for New Delhi. And leaves the door open for a dialogue with Washington

- Manjeev Puri

US President Donald Trump's tariff of 50% on Indian exports — 25% duties plus 25% punitive duties for buying oil from Russia — has come into effect and will seriously impact textiles, jewellery, and a few other major sectors. To add insult to injury, an army of Trump administration officials has been maligning India over its purchases of Russian oil, underscoring little willingness to negotiate on the part of the US.

Many in India see Trump's actions as a betrayal by someone who had been befriended by our leadership. They are now urging a shift towards Russia, Brazil, and even China. But is it correct to see India’s renewed efforts on deepening these ties as a rebound from the lost friendship with the US ? Isn't strategic autonomy and multi-alignment in our interest?

Strategic autonomy was always India’s mantra. In the early years, it was nonalignment — steering clear of the Cold War blocs. Later, as the USSR collapsed and India emerged as a growing economic power, multi-alignment became the cornerstone of the latter's stated policy, though Brics with Russia and China as members took a spot behind the US-led Quad.

A key reason for this was India’s leadership, over the years, accepting the indispensability of close ties with the US — not just for India’s growth, but also as a bulwark against the China threat. This found ready support from many in the government, media, and diasporic circles. Those who pointed towards strategic autonomy were told that times had changed and that they had stayed in their village for too long. But the idea of being a formal US ally didn’t really fit India’s context, and strategic autonomy remains an important pole for the country.