'The primary purpose of any country’s security policy is to promote its national interest- to ensure security, safeguard its sovereignty, and contribute to its growth and prosperity'
Under Modi, India is taking a strategic approach towards using its soft-power resources to enhance the nation’s image abroad, even as soft power’s role in global politics. When introducing the concept of soft power, Nye argued that “it is just as important to set the agenda and structure the situations in world politics as to get others to change in particular cases.” Soft power can help a nation set the agenda and alter the preferences of other nations before they come to the bargaining table. Its main instrument–public diplomacy–aims for milieu goals, the creation of an enabling political environment for a state’s foreign policy. However, as argued by Melissen, “public diplomacy cannot achieve its aims if it is inconsistent with a country’s foreign policy or military actions.” To foreign policy and military actions one must add domestic values, politics, and institutions. In order for soft power to succeed, a country’s message to the world cannot be at odds with the way it conducts itself at home and abroad. India, unfortunately, does not at this stage possess a coherent message or image. While this is partly a facet of the chaotic nature of India’s democratic politics and the path it has taken toward great power until now, if soft power is truly to serve its interests India must take steps to address its domestic challenges and identity contradictions. In some respects, the issue is a matter of time. However, soft power has the potential to multiply the efforts of Indian diplomacy, and in this regard should be pursued as an important objective.The Modi government is unlike its predecessors, ambivalent about focusing on democracy, and instead the prime minister emphasises shared political values to strengthen ties with the West and democracies in Asia.
India's soft power resources are not as abundant as proponents of the idea might suggest. India’s cultural influence abroad, while significant, pales in comparison to the cultures of the West already in circulation around the globe, and increasingly in comparison to Chinese culture in circulation in Asia and beyond. Official and semi-official Indian modes of cultural dissemination are also relatively few. Although Indian culture, which is based largely on universalist and assimilationist Hindu principles, is a potent source of attraction, India’s domestic institutions and foreign policy have mitigated this effect on the perceptions of outsiders. In the domestic realm, India has done a much poorer job of lifting its population out of poverty when compared to China. India’s public institutions are rife with corruption, inefficiency, patronage and nepotism
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes a point of promoting India’s soft power—including Bollywood, Sufi music and yoga as well as shared heritage in art, architecture, cuisine and democratic values. It’s too early to assess if India’s efforts are having any substantive impact in meeting the nation’s foreign policy objectives, but for the first time a coherent effort is underway to raise India’s brand value abroad.
The Soft power has started paying. India sat on the high table at OIC, while the founder member Pakistan was abstain.
It should also be rembered it is not time for chest thumping, there are miles to go. The soft power must be backed like what was exhibited by use of air. This is the paradigm shift.
Under Modi, India is taking a strategic approach towards using its soft-power resources to enhance the nation’s image abroad, even as soft power’s role in global politics. When introducing the concept of soft power, Nye argued that “it is just as important to set the agenda and structure the situations in world politics as to get others to change in particular cases.” Soft power can help a nation set the agenda and alter the preferences of other nations before they come to the bargaining table. Its main instrument–public diplomacy–aims for milieu goals, the creation of an enabling political environment for a state’s foreign policy. However, as argued by Melissen, “public diplomacy cannot achieve its aims if it is inconsistent with a country’s foreign policy or military actions.” To foreign policy and military actions one must add domestic values, politics, and institutions. In order for soft power to succeed, a country’s message to the world cannot be at odds with the way it conducts itself at home and abroad. India, unfortunately, does not at this stage possess a coherent message or image. While this is partly a facet of the chaotic nature of India’s democratic politics and the path it has taken toward great power until now, if soft power is truly to serve its interests India must take steps to address its domestic challenges and identity contradictions. In some respects, the issue is a matter of time. However, soft power has the potential to multiply the efforts of Indian diplomacy, and in this regard should be pursued as an important objective.The Modi government is unlike its predecessors, ambivalent about focusing on democracy, and instead the prime minister emphasises shared political values to strengthen ties with the West and democracies in Asia.
India's soft power resources are not as abundant as proponents of the idea might suggest. India’s cultural influence abroad, while significant, pales in comparison to the cultures of the West already in circulation around the globe, and increasingly in comparison to Chinese culture in circulation in Asia and beyond. Official and semi-official Indian modes of cultural dissemination are also relatively few. Although Indian culture, which is based largely on universalist and assimilationist Hindu principles, is a potent source of attraction, India’s domestic institutions and foreign policy have mitigated this effect on the perceptions of outsiders. In the domestic realm, India has done a much poorer job of lifting its population out of poverty when compared to China. India’s public institutions are rife with corruption, inefficiency, patronage and nepotism
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes a point of promoting India’s soft power—including Bollywood, Sufi music and yoga as well as shared heritage in art, architecture, cuisine and democratic values. It’s too early to assess if India’s efforts are having any substantive impact in meeting the nation’s foreign policy objectives, but for the first time a coherent effort is underway to raise India’s brand value abroad.
The Soft power has started paying. India sat on the high table at OIC, while the founder member Pakistan was abstain.
It should also be rembered it is not time for chest thumping, there are miles to go. The soft power must be backed like what was exhibited by use of air. This is the paradigm shift.
