Dilemmas of India’s Great Power Ambitions

July 24, 2023

GS Paper II International Relations

Context:

This article is dealing with the dilemma of India’s role to tackle domestic issues & to become a global power and what priorities India needs to maintain and what is the need of the hour.

India’s Growth:

The Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs in Economic Survey 2022-23 projected a baseline GDP growth of 6.5 percent in real terms in FY24.
The projection is broadly comparable to the estimates provided by multilateral agencies such as the World Bank, the IMF, and the ADB and by the RBI, domestically.

Image Credits: PIB

A Comparison of India:

Characteristics	India in 1991	India in 2023
Economy	A weak, poor, and deeply under-risk country with a foreign exchange reserve of $5.8 billion and a nominal GDP of $270.11 billion. For a population of 846 million, around 50% of whom were poor.	India’s foreign exchange reserve has grown to around $600 billion. Although tens of millions of people in India still live in poverty. Ranked as the world’s fifth largest economy, India’s nominal GDP could soon touch $4 trillion.
Threat	Fears of a nuclear war Prospects of an India-Pakistan clash Violence in Kashmir	China has taken place, instead of Pakistan in terms of war front concerns. Now, India has one of the largest militaries in the world with over a hundred nuclear weapons.
Effect of Superpowers	The collapse of India’s trusted partner, the Soviet Union and strained relations with the United States accelerated pressure on India.	The U.S. is now one of India’s closest friends, and India now enjoys strong relationships with several powerful states around the world.

Role Playing by India:

A Pole in World Politics: India is a bridge between the north and south and east and west.
Strategic Position: India is playing its strategic diplomacy very well in the contemporary international system.
- Example- Ukraine Issue: India is trying to mediate between Ukraine and Russia to bring an end to the war, without taking anyone’s side.

Challenges Faced by India:

Economical Challenge:
- Despite being the fifth largest economy in the world, its GDP per capita ($1,947) was low even Bangladesh ($2,227) in 2021.
Infrastructural & Governance Challenge:
- In India ease of doing business may have improved, but starting a business without a bribe is still not easy.
- A few days of rain brings the national capital to its knees.
- Regional, caste, ethnic and religious divisions run deep.
Poverty Tackle:
- One of the most serious concerns for India is to reduce poverty and improve the well-being of millions of Indians living under the poverty line.
Decision Making:
- A weak domestic economy prevents politicians from allocating adequate resources for foreign policy objectives.

Conclusion:

Ignoring or dismissing the global consequences of a rising India’s power is unwise, but doing so without being rooted in the realities of the country’s inherent limitations would be a strategic blunder.
India’s ability to shape international politics must also be a reflection of its domestic priorities which should be tilting towards the well being of its people.
- India needs to maintain a balance between its domestic policies and to take steps in the global scenario to become a global power.

News Source: The Hindu