Conference Program

Abstract

India’s Emerging Role in Liberal International Order

*Prof. Chintamani Mahapatra

The Western backed Liberal International Order has been under considerable stress and strains. Actually, it has always been so, as it is evidenced by various challenges posed by the former Soviet Union during the Cold War. Significantly, India along with many members of the Non-aligned movement also were uncomfortable with the Liberal International Order. However, India is no longer an active player in the Non-aligned Movement. Moreover, India has been fast emerging as a significant player in global affairs. By virtue of being an economic powerhouse, a de facto nuclear weapon power, resilient democratic polity and more recently, an influential actor in the group of 20 (G20), India seeks to shape the international order that can protect its interest and the interest of the fellow members of the Global South.

India’s approach towards reshaping the Liberal International Order is reflected in its championing the cause of the Global South, and call for reforms in many global institutions and initiatives commensurate with the current realities of the world. One of the quintessential aspects of India’s emerging role is in promoting public global health, addressing the complex climate issues by strengthening the search for renewable energy resources and creation of an equitable digital public infrastructure that can serve the interest of the common man in India and other parts of the world. Importantly, India is not opposed to the Liberal International Order; rather it seeks to make it more democratic and equitable.

The post-World War II global order was primarily crafted to address the challenges confronting the US and Europe. A newly independent post-colonial India found itself with limited influence over the shaping of this world order. During the Cold war when developing countries were forced to choose one side or the other, India spearheaded the formation of the Non-Aligned Movement. This foreign policy orientation was harmonised with inward looking economic strategy centred on import substitution. After the end of the Cold War, New Delhi is trying to reposition itself as an important global actor. With radical changes in inward looking economic strategy and strong anti-west stance, India has transitioned from Non-alignment to a policy of multi-alignment. An important component of this strategy has been strong economic growth and changes in external economic engagements. The sustained growth has given a new profile to India in Asia and the world. India has also moved away from its foreign policy focus from non-alignment to multi-alignment. This has resulted in India signing more than thirty-five strategic partnerships, more than 15 trade and investment agreements plus a few connectivity initiatives. Apart from maintaining autonomy in its economic and foreign policy orientation, India will continue to push reforms in the institutions of global governance so that it can strengthen its position in these institutions. The core of this is reforms in the UNSC. India is also actively engaged and championed the cause of 'South-South Cooperation.' This was clearly evident during its recent G20 presidency.

India's Rise has given enough confidence to own up the responsibilities and lead the Global South affairs. How India will shape up the priorities of Global South remains a major part of the debate. Will India address the pertinent issues impacting the Global South especially from sustainable development point of view requires a substantive elaboration. The priorities of the Global South need to be articulated. It will be a worthwhile exercise to assess the probable development cooperation led by India among the members of Global South community.

The assessment on India's role in particular in mobilising the members of the Global South and coming up with the solutions to the major problems relating to political, economic and diplomatic dimensions meed to be assessed and analysed. Technical and Economic Cooperation (TEC) perhaps will be the key and India will have to take lead in demonstrating its willingness to cooperate with the members of the Global South. How India would become a voice of Global South would very much depend on its behavioural patterns and fundamental goals. How India will become a bridge between the members of Global South and developed countries in the ongoing energy transitions and climate justice and finance requires a comprehensive assessment.

A modest attempt will be made to analyse India's potential to reflect its leadership of the Global South. More importantly, an assessment will be done on the emerging dynamics of the Global South as a major pole in the international system.

This paper examines India as a case study from the perspective of Smart Power in IR (International Relations). Smart Power is a concept in the discipline of IR where states combine hard and soft power while engaging in the international system, e.g., The U.S is a prominent example of Smart Power. Since the beginning of the 21st century, India’s hard power which constitutes economic, military, scientific, and technological prowess has been increasing, as well as it has undertaken several economic and military reforms for the country’s advancement. Secondly, India has 5000 (plus) years old civilizational heritage and liberal modern democracy in the modern times which constitutes India’s soft power. The strong normative and ideological factors derived from its civilizational heritage shaping its behaviour in the international system and have ambitions to play a critical role in the international system. India has been demonstrating the use of both hard and soft power in its engagement in global politics; For example, in medicine and vaccine supply during covid-19 pandemic, dealing with climate change, leading country in maintaining maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region, leading the global south etc., Therefore, this paper posing two research questions: Is India an emerging smart power? Secondly, What role does India want to play in the international system based on India’s civilizational ideas and values? What kind of power does India want to be in future?

Key Words – India, Hard Power, Soft Power, Smart Power, International System

India has been widely touted as a potential future superpower, with its global significance hinging on its ability to actively contribute to the global wealth creation networks. However, a closer examination of the available data reveals that India's integration into the Global Value Chains (GVC) is rather tenuous. Notably, compared to its counterparts like Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand, India lags behind in deepening its ties with the global economy. These countries are making significant strides through domestic accumulation and technology transfer, positioning themselves more effectively within the value chains.

Existing literature in International Political Economy suggests that India's struggles may stem from its approach to negotiating trade deals. Nevertheless, there remains an unexplored aspect concerning the rationale behind India's current negotiation strategies. What factors influence India's decision-making in the realm of foreign economic policy? This paper aims to address these questions by presenting preliminary research findings derived from a field trip to New Delhi. Importantly, this issue has not been empirically examined before, and the insights provided seek to fill this gap in understanding.

Understanding the fundamental rationale behind India's trade and industrial policies is imperative to grasp its position within the prevailing global order and the aspirations it harbours for shaping the international landscape. This becomes particularly pertinent in an era where the illusion of the Liberal International Order is currently shattering.