In a study titled “India’s Soft Power and Cultural Diplomacy” published on December 29, 2022, the Standing Committee on External Affairs defined “soft power” as the capacity to influence people without employing coercion by appealing to them and attracting them. Soft power is the ability to influence another person’s preferences through attraction and appeal. Power in international relations has traditionally been defined and assessed in easily quantifiable ‘hard’ terms. This understanding of power frequently relates to economic and military strength. Positive appeal and persuasion are used by soft power, as opposed to hard power, which employs coercion, to accomplish goals. Instead of using traditional foreign policy tools like coercive methods to gain influence, soft power builds networks, shares engaging narratives, creates rules for the world, and makes use of the resources that naturally attract people to the world.
India has consistently been at the top of the list for employing cultural diplomacy and soft power to establish itself on the international stage. Foreign policy, cultural influence, and political principles were the three pillars of soft power outlined by Joseph Nye, the originator of the concept of soft power. The various sources of soft power, however, are numerous and diverse. India is vividly conscious of the importance of cultural engagement and has given weightage to presenting its cultural fascinations to different corners of the world.
India has a vision of a relatively pluralistic government, non-violent, and liberal with a non-threatening global leadership. Luminaries like Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore, as well as the arts of literature, music, dance, the software industry, Ayurveda, etc., generate a staggering array of soft power assets that highlight India’s appeal to the world’s population. Ashoka, Buddha, and other prominent figures served as prime examples of the values that Indians are known for, which include the importance of respect, peace, and fraternity. Epics from mythologies like the Mahabharata and Ramayana are compared to classic Greek works like the Odyssey and Iliad. Between 1 and 1000 AD, India was lauded as the “Golden Bird” for its GDP, which was higher than China at the time. As a result, India soon received immigrants, traders, and invaders like “Alexander the Great”.
The concept of “unity in diversity” is the foundation of India’s international representation. Her history and culture, which show how India peacefully accepted several religions while never losing sight of its own culture and history, are her heritage to the world. The soft power of India, which has been dispersed throughout her enormous social and civilizational heritage over millennia, displays her goals of secularism, liberalism, and cultural inclusivity, all of which are increasingly important in modern society.
People from all over the world are attracted to the nation because of its vibrant democracy, autonomous judiciary, role for NGOs, and progressive and independent media. India is also attempting to gain international recognition for initiatives that are incredibly innovative and that reflect the country’s connection to its wonderful civilizational past. One of the most respected UNESCO members, India has always promoted inter-civilizational and intercultural exchange. The government of Narendra Modi at present has been setting fresh trends in the realm of Indian diplomacy. Today, the state has successfully achieved diplomatic victories, the attractiveness of culture, social values, and foreign policies and advanced the country’s national objectives by utilising special soft power assets of India, such as the diaspora, Yoga, Buddhism, and economic support. India’s supremacy in space technology and diplomacy is a significantly enhanced soft power tool with limitless potential.
India lacks the institutional ecology necessary to harness soft power and advance its national interests abroad despite being a nation rich in soft power resources. Due to issues such as corruption, poverty, violence against women, antagonism towards business, urban pollution, caste prejudice, and gender inequality, India has performed relatively poorly in terms of the factors that make a country attractive to tourists. A number of other factors, such as the Western bias that puts India at a relative disadvantage, force what appears to be an underperformance for India in the Soft Power 30 ranking. India needs to rediscover its ancient wisdom, and its spirituality should inspire other countries to see that India has the potential to play a significant leadership role in the world.
If utilised productively, the country’s soft power potential would unquestionably contribute to India’s elevated standing by making it prosperous in the international community. India undoubtedly possesses the ability and vast prospects to strengthen its position as the “growing global soft power,” which can further open the door for the nation to become a “soft power-superpower” of the twenty-first century.
(Writer Nihal Sharma is a political enthusiast with a keen interest in Indian political landscape, having worked with several Ministers gaining real on-ground experience of the political system.)