India’s Foreign Policy: A Strategic Misstep or a Calculated Gamble Gone Wrong?

India's foreign policy, which was once praised for its strategic autonomy and smooth balancing act between great powers, seems to be facing a crisis of credibility. From strained regional relations to waning strength in multilateral platforms, the cracks are increasingly difficult to disregard.

Historically, India enjoyed warm relations with its immediate neighbours under the Neighbourhood First policy. In recent times, however, a visible deterioration of goodwill can be observed. Nations such as Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh—hitherto regarded as close friends—have become increasingly cautious. Border tensions with Nepal, water-sharing issues with Bangladesh, and Bhutan's increasing courtship with China have caused concern. Critics hold that India's belligerent stance, hence frequently viewed as domineering, has pushed its smaller neighbours away.

At the international level, India's balancing act between the West and Russia has grown more delicate. As New Delhi strengthened engagement with the U.S. through QUAD and defense pacts, its continued interactions with Russia in the context of the Ukraine war have irritated Western allies. This balancing act, although strategic in origin, has resulted in charges of inconsistency.

Additionally, India's diplomatic push in West Asia and Africa, a signature of its soft power, has weakened. Lack of a clear long-term vision complemented with reactionism has circumscribed India's capacity to make regional narratives. Even in such institutions as the United Nations, India's long-held dream of a permanent seat in the Security Council remains unrealized, with precious little movement after decades of self-lobbing.

At home, centralization creates apprehensions regarding institutional thinness. The excessive dependence on a few personalities, although effective in the short run, can compromise the overall diplomatic machinery. Critics also identify politicization of foreign policy—where foreign engagements are produced with domestic politics as the template—as one weakening India's credibility overseas.

All the same, it's not all doom and gloom. India's humanitarian initiatives, including vaccine diplomacy through the COVID-19 pandemic and disaster relief operations like Operation Dost, have highlighted its potential for world leadership. But these flashes of benevolence are progressively outweighed by strategic blunders and lost opportunities.