Soft power diplomacy in India's foreign policy under the Modi government: Challenges and prospects

Abstract

Every country aspires to play a significant diplomatic and foreign policy role in world affairs. Interaction with other countries on a bilateral and multilateral basis is foreign policy. Every country develops principles to achieve its national objectives. Foreign policy is the balancing act between morality and governmental objectives. International relations do not always entail a continual foreign policy. It alters in response to domestic political climates and world politics. Foreign policy therefore entails choosing national objectives and interests and working to control other countries' behaviour in order to attain these objectives. States are interconnected with one another through a variety of relationships, including cultural, commercial, political, geographical, and other relationships. Every state seeks to further its own objectives. In international affairs, these interests are referred to as national interests. It is widely acknowledged that diplomacy is a crucial tool for advancing national interests. The fundamental means by which foreign policy is carried out is diplomacy. Foreign policy's use of rules is related to diplomacy. In order to attain national interest, diplomacy is a communication process used to manage foreign policy objectives. The strength of nations affects diplomacy. Through the aid of power, national interests and global objectives are tried to be accomplished. In international relations, power is the capacity of one country to affect the actions of another. In the realism theory of international relations, power and statecraft are crucial components. Realists contend that in the anarchic international system, physical power is maximised in order to achieve and maintain state sovereignty and security. The time of the cold war has been compared to anarchy in the international order. During the Cold War, power was the major preoccupation of the international system in this regard. It is designed as a self-help system, with the state attempting to safeguard its sovereignty and uphold its interests as a whole. In this realist viewpoint, hard power in international politics is the definition of power. The view of the concept of power has altered since the end of the Cold War. In the age of globalisation, "Soft Power" has developed as a new form of power. Joseph Nye initially used the term "soft power" in his 1990 book "Bound to Lead: The Changing Nature of American Power." Cultural values, historical ties to other nations, a shared civilisation, and other factors all contribute to soft power in international politics. Soft power was overlooked by Indian diplomacy as a crucial tool of foreign policy up till 2014. The current NDA II administration used soft power to guide its foreign policy. In actively marketing India's image as a rising global force, the Modi administration has better utilised India's edge in soft power. The Modi administration has made use of soft power resources like ties to other cultures, Buddhism, the Indian diaspora, yoga, and cultural affinity. The Modi admini...