Answer

Introduction

The unravelling of the post–Cold War Pax Americana has replaced fixed bipolarity with a fluid, asymmetric multipolarity. In this strategic vacuum, the Global South is no longer a passive rule-taker, instead, it is asserting agency and India is shaping the institutions that enable this shift.

Body

How Fluid Multipolarity Reshapes The Agency Of The Global South

• From rule-takers to rule-makers: The Global South now shapes agendas rather than accepting Western frameworks.
  Eg: G20 Delhi Summit made the African Union a permanent member, ending exclusivity.
• Rise of swing-state leverage: Power flows from geo-economics and demographics, not military bloc alignment.
  Eg: India, Brazil, Indonesia negotiate with US, China, Russia based on interests, not camps.
• Rejecting dependency models: The South resists hierarchical or coercive connectivity.
  Eg: Pushback against China’s BRI debt diplomacy, exploring equitable alternatives.
• Institutional diversification: New institutions challenge Western financial dominance.
  Eg: BRICS expansion and NDB financing without IMF-style conditionality.
• Development-first geopolitics: Agency arises from development models, not ideological blocs.
  Eg: Focus on Digital Public Infrastructure, global solar alliances, climate finance demands.

India As The Institutional Architect Of The Global South

• Principal designer of new multilateral institutions: India converts Global South grievances into new institutions.
  Eg: Leads the International Solar Alliance and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
• Pragmatic multi-alignment, not Non-alignment 2.0: India keeps relations with West, Russia and Global South parallelly.
  Eg: Different stances on Ukraine and Gaza, guided by Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.
• Digital Public Goods model (Soft Power 2.0): India exports scalable, low-cost governance technologies.
  Eg: UPI, CoWIN and DPI frameworks adopted by countries in Africa and Southeast Asia.
• Counter-model to China’s hierarchical BRI: India promotes sovereignty-building, not dependency.
  Eg: Post-Galwan shift to active deterrence (QUAD) and regional digital infra partnerships.
• Plural financial ecosystem architect: India reduces reliance on Western-led financial architecture.
  Eg: Push for local currency settlements and reforms via BRICS/NDB.

Conclusion

India’s leadership will be credible only if capability matches aspiration. By scaling digital infrastructure, green technology, and inclusive multilateralism, India can convert asymmetric multipolarity into equitable polycentricity, ensuring the Global South becomes not a participant in history, but its author.

DOWNLOAD PDF