Context: 

New Delhi recently hosted the G-20 Foreign Ministers meeting, the Quad meeting, the Ministry of External Affairs-supported Raisina dialogue and the ‘Voice of Global South Summit’. 

Moment under the sun:

For New Delhi, this is the near realisation of a long-awaited pivotal power moment. 

• India’s pivotal position at the G-20, the Quad, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Global South today has given it a sudden surge in stature and reputation.
• India’s culture, history, demography and economic strength provide the country with a strong foundation for such a role. 
• Contemporary India’s pivotal position in world politics is thanks to a fortunate confluence of deliberate and unforeseen factors which appear to be working in New Delhi’s favour. 
• A far stronger economic and military power, courted by great powers, New Delhi has cleverly used the failure of the post-war world order today to its advantage. 
• The worry about an aggressively rising China has further prompted global leaders to look for geopolitical alternatives in the Indo-Pacific region.

Treading the fault-lines:

• Contemporary India speaks the language of revisionism and status quoism in the same breath and with ease.
• In short, New Delhi has become adept at playing both sides (though not without its costs). 

Examples:

• India is the chair of both the United States/West-led G-20 and the China-centered SCO at the same time. 
• It is seeking to be at the global high table while staking a serious claim to be the leader of the Global South. 
• In the Ukraine war, New Delhi has not alienated, directly or indirectly, any of the parties involved in the war in a big way. 
• While the looming threat of China has brought it closer to the U.S. and the West than ever before in its history, New Delhi is also an active member of multilateral forums which has China in it — BRICS and the SCO. 

What does India want?

• India desires a seat at the global high table and has recently participated in significant geopolitical events such as the G-20 and the ‘Voice of Global South Summit.’ 
• In its pursuit of a position in the restructured global order, India recognizes the importance of carefully balancing global divisions and fault lines. 
• India’s revisionist language reflects its ambition to be a part of the restructured status quo.

The challenges:

• Indian chairpersonship of the G-20 and the SCO ends this year, and China will not let India take over the leadership of the Global South so easily. 
• The second important challenge pertains to optics and framing. Indian diplomacy needs to adopt the language of finesse and authority rather than that of aggression. 
• Third, balancing opposites has its limits. While bridging the divide in world politics is a noble task, indecisiveness might not yield lasting partnerships.
• Finally, there is always a danger of governments using diplomatic highs such as this towards domestic political ends rather than for geopolitical objectives. 

Conclusion:

One year is too short in geopolitics, and geopolitics is not always a function of happy coincidences. So, New Delhi should take steps in such a manner to take the maximum output of the opportunity.

News Source: The Hindu

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