1

[RISE OF INDIA AS A SOFT POWER IN

GLOBAL POLITICS]

by

Saurangshu Sarkar
Roll No.-013
Semester- 4th
Course- PLS402

A Dissertation

Submitted to-
Dept. Of- Political science
Vidyasagar University
2022
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[RISE OF INDIA AS A SOFT POWER IN

GLOBAL POLITICS]

by

Saurangshu Sarkar
Roll No.-013
Semester- 4th
Course- PLS402
 3

Table of contents

Introduction.................................................................................................................... 4

What is Power?................................................................................................................5

What exactly is Soft Power?............................................................................................6

India as a Global Soft Power............................................................................................7

Soft Power Resources: Culture and Cultural Diplomacy.................................................9

Soft Power Resources: Standards and Values..................................................................9

Soft Power Resources: Foreign Policy............................................................................10

Significance of the Title...................................................................................................11

Objectives of the Study....................................................................................................12

Literature Review............................................................................................................13

Conclusion.......................................................................................................................13

Reference.........................................................................................................................14
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Introduction:
Power has been central to the theoretical debate encased within the discipline of International
Relations; with noted theorists explaining the scope of power and its impact on state behavior.
Dahl (1957), a cited expert has claimed that power has been defined as the “relation among
people” (p. 202) in the way that one can influence another. Holsti (1964) following Dahl’s
ideas further mentioned that states with varied capabilities interacted in different capacities,
generating different means of influence. According to him, influence could be achieved in
several ways. In particular, he listed six: (I) persuasion through various means of punishments
or rewards where considered necessary; (ii) through the offer of some advantageous rewards
for another; (iii) granting rewards (with the ability to do so) in the case that a state’s offer is
not insurance enough for the other to comply; (iv) the threat of punishment is available for
states by means of intimidation of the possible use of force; (v) the infliction of non-violent
punishment that would act as a warning of sorts where any form of penalty is not with the intent
to harm; and (vi) finally, when all options are exhausted through the use of active force (pp.
189-190). Similarly, Hart (1976) defined power synonymously with “control” over various
“actors”, “resources” and the “events and outcomes” (p. 289). This form of thought has been
borrowed from the Realists based on their explanations of the inter-state power play throughout
history.

In this way, the definition of power has changed over time with different schools introducing
their varied perspectives of the term. Quite often though the concept is an exclusive strand that
emerged from Realism, a dominant school of thought that relegates its use to a quite traditional
understanding of the term. While the theoretical framework has always enjoyed a prominent
place in the academic discussions, particularly while defining and analyzing the various strands
of power, it has found its fair share of critiques that have claimed that there are drawbacks to
this approach. Barnett and Duvall (2005), for instance, have opposed such notions claiming
that the “failure to develop alternative conceptualizations of power limits the ability of
international relations scholars to understand how global outcomes are produced and how
actors are differentially enabled and constrained to determine their fates” (p. 41). Furthermore,
this has in turn prompted different waves of scholarly contributions to observe and explain the
changing global phenomena. Shortly after the Cold War, an emerging trend of interdependence,
globalization and interstate cooperation on diverse issues indicated that the traditional idea of
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power and security, which was based on military capabilities was not sufficient to explain the
evolving international structures.

A country’s soft power is its ability to make friends and influence people - not through military
might, but through its most attractive assets notably culture, education, language, and values.
In short, it is the things that make people love a country rather than fear it; things that are often
the products of people, institutions, and brands rather than governments.

While Realists have adhered to the military and defense as the primary strongholds of power,
Liberals and Neoliberals in the later age, acknowledging the prior contributions argued that
there may be a new element of power that needed to be brought into the forefront. It was not
until Joseph S. Nye Jr. published his seminal work on “Soft Power: The Means to Succeed in
World Politics” that the clear dichotomy between the diverse ways through which states utilize
their influence abroad was contextualized. He later went on to include the terminology of smart
power as well, adding on the layers of the existing understanding of power strategies. In this
way he delineated the different forms of power to reach certain foreign policy objectives, each
with its own significance.

There has been no “consensus” on the definition of power, despite its widespread theoretical
practice in inter-state politics (Lukes, 2005, p. 61), and Gilpin (1981) has made it a point to
note that “its proper definition remains a matter of controversy” (p. 13), since the concept has
undergone momentous change in the ongoing debates of IR. This paper shall examine the way
theorists have comprehended power within the classical and contemporary schools of thought.
In doing so, it will include the notion of soft power and how it has served as a productive tool
to carry out national interests in the global arena for small states such as Nepal, with relative
capabilities

What is Power?

Power is the ability to make people, states, movements, organizations, or things to do what they
would not otherwise have done. It is a matter of fact that politics is seen to be about might
rather than right.

The notion of power in world politics is usually attached to the nation-state and, therefore,
power as an ability is prescribed to the country to direct its affairs but without the interference
of other states or other international actors. Because of such an understanding of the term,
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power in politics is remarkably close term if not even the synonym to autonomy or
independence.

Nevertheless, in academic literature, power in international politics is mostly understood as a

relationship as the real ability to influence the behavior of other actors (states, organizations,
movements, parties, persons, etc.) in a manner, not of their choosing. That is the reason the
term power over others is becoming more used as a proper one. In other words, power in
politics can be understood as a phenomenon that is exercised when one actor gets another actor
to do something that, in fact, the latter would not otherwise have done. However, from the very
practical points of view, distinctions exist between hard and soft power.

For decades, power in international relations has been seen through the prism of capabilities,
and consequently, power as a phenomenon was understood either as an attribute or possession.
From this point of view, power was often reflected in attempts to make a list of components of
the power of a nation-state. But gradually soft power also got its way ahead in International
Politics. This is the ability to influence other actors by convincing them by different means to
follow or agree to certain norms, aspirations, and politics that produce the desired behavior.
The term soft power is used in the studies of international relations to mark the use of economic,
cultural, and diplomatic measures for the sake to attract and shape the actions of other actors
toward the desired direction.

What exactly is Soft Power?

International relations are going soft, with countries from India to Qatar to Turkey opting for
soft power persuasion over hard power pressure. Soft power collectively refers to the tools in
a nation-state’s arsenal that do not punish, reward, or threaten other actors into preferred
behavior. It stands in direct contrast to hard power, that is, the tools which do serve as sticks
and carrots in international relations. Soft power, for example, includes cultural exchanges and
public diplomacy initiatives to help shape behavior, while hard power might explicitly promise
trade incentives, threaten economic sanctions, or military action. While the concept was first
coined three decades ago by scholar Joseph Nye, soft power has been practiced by nation-states
for centuries. Still, it has yet to gain the same credibility or accolades as its hard power
counterpart in the national security space.

Joseph Nye introduced the concept of "soft power" in the late 1980s.For Nye, power is the
ability to influence the behavior of others to get the outcomes you want. There are several ways
one can achieve this: you can coerce them with threats; you can induce them with payments;
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or you can attract and co-opt them to want what you want. This soft power – getting others to
want the outcomes you want – co-opts people rather than coerces them.

It can be contrasted with 'hard power', which is the use of coercion and payment. Soft power
can be wielded not just by states but also by all actors in international politics, such as NGOs
or international institutions. It is also considered the "second face of power" that indirectly
allows you to obtain the outcomes you want. A country's soft power, according to Nye, rests
on three resources: "its culture (in places where it is attractive to others), its political values
(when it lives up to them at home and abroad), and its foreign policies (when others see them
as legitimate and having moral authority)."

India as a Global Soft Power:

India is an enlightened nation with a vibrant soft power inheritance. The country is vividly
conscious of the weight of its cultural engagement and requires putting in little more effort to
present its culture fascinating to the corners of the world. The following notion of soft power
is original and natural which is harmonious with the abundant history of India as both a country
of notions and thoughts alongside amicable cultural dissemination. Soft power brought with it
an impression of upright hovering sphere and reliability, which motivated the developing
nations across the world after seeing India’s position. India has an optimistic vision of
pluralistic government, non-violent, and liberal with a non-threatening global leadership.
Distinguished personages like Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, literature, music,
dance, software industry, Ayurveda, etc., produce an extraordinary array of soft power assets
that portray the attractiveness of India to the foreign populace.

India’s global representation is rooted in the idea of ‘unity in diversity,’ contemplative of the
wide collection of cultures and civilizations that remains to attract many across the world. The
soft power rootlets move very deep. Appraisals of India’s soft power draw traditional, religious,
ethno-linguistic and constructive relations with other nations. Everything as a component of
the Indian culture was fascinating for the outside world. India dedicated to gaining
internationally through commerce and statecraft, apart from “soft” power. Upanishads
delivered the notion of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ to the world and to India. Renowned
ancient Indian philosopher, Chanakya’s maneuvering to gain over adjacent powers by
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settlement and non- aggression arrangement and grants also demonstrates the significance of
soft power in the ancient Indian statecraft.

The soft power of India has scattered in her extensive social and civilization heritage over
millennia, manifests that her purposes of secularism, liberalism and inclusiveness of cultures
that are more critical in today’s restless society. A concrete experience of south-south
collaboration and long-held solidarity with developing nations is an added element of Indian
soft power in various sections of the world. The Gandhian concepts of non-violence, Nehru’s
Five Postulates of Panchsheel (Peaceful Coexistence) and the globally supported Non-Aligned
Movement (NAM) during the cold war made a crucial factor in global associations. Jawaharlal
Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister was assured that the country was fastened to perform a great
and benevolent share in foreign affairs. India has been perceived as a promoter of culture,
dialogue, and cooperation in the continuation of global politics. The religious leader of the
Tibetans, his holiness Dalai Lama explained, “India’s great tradition of religious tolerance can
be a role model for the entire world.” With the arrival of liberalization and globalization of the
economy, the interlacing among the nations across the world has increased. The soft power has
now been graced as the essential factor of the overall power of a nation. It can increase the
adhesion and the determination of the people in a domain and the capability to shape the foreign
relations of a nation. Soft power has also become a piece of crucial equipment in determining
India’s foreign policy and strategic decisions.

The Incredible India tourism campaign offered an indispensable role in advancing ‘Brand
India’ being a catchphrase to describe the campaign started by India to draw interest and
represent India as a productive purpose for investment. India could hold itself amongst the
nations with robust potential of soft power.

The Indian diaspora can perform a significant role in expanding the soft power of the country
through the tremendous magnetism that they hold in their living nations. Around 20 million
active Indian Diasporas are spread across various countries. Today, the state has used specific
soft power assets of India such as Diaspora, Yoga, Buddhism, and economic support for
accomplishing diplomatic triumphs and advancing the nation’s national interests. India’s
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has determined to promote a “soft power matrix” to
measure the effectiveness of the country’s soft power outreach. The goal of the MEA is going
to be an indispensable test condition in the regard. Initiatives such as ‘Destination India’ and
‘Know India’ have likewise been launched. Cultural centers like the Indian Council for Cultural
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Relations (ICCR) even organized a national convention ‘Destination India’ initiative for the
first time in 2019 which believes that India can move up fast to be a leader of the global
knowledge society. ‘Namaste diplomacy’ and ‘Medical diplomacy’ of India today has become
the talk post-COVID-19. India’s supremacy in space leadership and technology is an added
principally induced soft power means with endless prospects. India’s regional diplomacy has
reached outer space with the nation launching its GSAT-9, also known as the South Asia
Satellite, that aimed to bestow South Asian countries with space-enabled services.

Soft Power Resources: Culture and Cultural Diplomacy

The culture of India is the main source of its soft power (Varma, 2007). India is considered as
one of the few countries whose culture can become an alternative to Western values. The
richness and diversity of Indian culture has fascinated foreigners since ancient times, attracting
merchants, travelers, people fleeing religious persecution, those seeking spiritual wisdom, and
finally also missionaries, foreign armies, and colonizers to the country. Consequently, in the
past this geographic area could boast multiple links with such distant countries as ancient
Rome, Greece, or Persia, not to mention the region of Southeast Asia (Wolper, 2010). Elements
of Indian pop culture, such as music and movies also have gained many fans in other countries.
Indian music and movies have their own place in the global trade, and have become popular
abroad, especially in Asia, Europe, and Africa. Indian cinematography, associated with
Bollywood, produces about 1,700 films a year. Indian writers, including Arundhati Roy, Kiran
Desai, Aravind Adiga have won the Man Booker International Prize multiple times. The winner
of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Literature was Vidiadhar Surajprasad Najpaul (Kugiel, 2014). One
of the biggest and longest-lasting Indian successes in exports is yoga, which is nowadays
practiced in every corner of the world, both as a form of exercise and a tamer of stress (Kugiel,
2014). Indian cuisine with its subtle use of spices and herbs is becoming increasingly popular
in the West, especially in Great Britain, which is home to many Indian expatriates (Zingerling,
1994). Another soft power instrument is education, with programs aimed at foreigners being
of particular importance.

Soft Power Resources: Standards and Values

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Norms and values adopted in India and shaped by its culture promote tolerance and acceptance
of diversity. India is the birthplace of two religions – Hinduism and Buddhism. Religious
diversity is associated with tolerance towards the followers of other belief systems (Bending
1996). Of immense importance is Indian secularism, which in practice means harmonious
coexistence of different religions – a different understanding of the term “secularism” than that
dominating in the West, where separation of religion and state is emphasized. Religion
certainly influenced the activity of Mahatma Gandhi, who successfully built the vision of India
as a country that achieved independence without resorting to violence (Herman, 1991). Thus,
the set of values rooted in the religious system has been translated in India into political practice
and fully recognized. Indian support for democracy and freedom is a value that strengthens its
soft power. Unlike most Asian countries, India also has a very stable and independent judiciary
and, to a lesser extent, also the media. Both these institutions very often play an active role in
solving important public problems.

Soft Power Resources: Foreign Policy

Immediately after gaining independence, India in a natural progression adopted a soft power
strategy based on values and peaceful coexistence. In the face of the nascent Cold War
confrontation, the state did not join any of the antagonistic blocs and began to promote the
“third way” in international relations and the non-alignment policy. The “five principles” of
pancha shila (peaceful coexistence) established during the Bandung conference in 1955 became
the foundation for the non-alignment movement, joined by multiple states. India became the
voice of the Third World – a spokesperson for decolonization, universal disarmament, peaceful
resolution of disputes, committed to combating manifestations of racism and Western
imperialism (Dixit, 2003). India became engaged in a variety of activities in the region – it
began cooperation with the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC),
supporting the idea of establishing a preferential trade area. As a result of joint diplomatic
activities in the region, the South Asian Preferential Trade Area (SAPTA) was created in 1995,
and in 2004 the members signed an agreement establishing the South Asian Free Trade Area
(SAFTA). In year 2000 India established a strategic partnership with Russia and China. In a
2005 agreement, India gained observer status in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Due
to the dynamic development of cooperation and increased trade between the two states, the
term Chindia (Nay, 2011) was coined to describe the relationship between India and China.
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The intense economic exchange continues despite unresolved contentious issues and mutual
concerns still surviving in the India-China relations (Zajaczkowski, 2011). India’s relations
with the USA, influenced by Washington’s relations with Pakistan, followed a similar path.
The US-Pakistani understanding was unfavorable for India, the state becoming concerned by
unregulated disputes with its western neighbor – this particularly applied to border disputes,
which were accompanied by a series of armed clashes. During the last war, after the Pakistani
provocation in 1999 and attacks by Pakistani terrorists on important targets in Delhi in 2001
and Mumbai in 2008, India did not decide to carry out retaliatory attacks on targets in Pakistan.
An example of a foreign policy approach that has effectively strengthened India’s soft power
are its relations with Afghanistan. Since the collapse of Taliban power in this country, India
has focused on humanitarian aid, supporting construction of infrastructure, and providing
scholarships to Afghan students. The support offered for Palestine by India under the United
Nations framework was also beneficial to its image. This move gained India recognition among
the Arab countries, and – importantly – also the relations between India and Israel did not
deteriorate. While striving to be active in Central Asia, India supported cooperation in that
region, especially with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the Gulf States, Australia, and Japan
(Kugiel, 2014). Even though India does not participate in the redistribution of assistance under
the ODA (Official Development Assistance) fund of the OECD (Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development), the country is trying to increase its assistance to poor
countries, especially in Africa. The amount of Indian aid expenditure is around USD 1.3 billion
per year. The aid is granted without application of a multitude of restrictions and is purely
humanitarian, which significantly increases the impact of Indian soft power (Kugiel, 2009).

Significance of the Title:

A general “branding” about the “idea” of the country is fleshed out in diverse ways to lend
weight to that country’s diplomacy; according to one study, countries package their soft power
by emphasising the qualities of governance, culture, diplomacy, education, and business
innovation.

As a culturally diverse, democratic country with a large aspirational, extroversive population

pursuing socio-economic mobility, India’s image is that of a benign country confident of its
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growing role in the international community in support of democracy, international

cooperation, stability, and commitment to multilateralism as an effective way to meet our
common global challenges. It is not that of an aggressive, revisionist power and its growing
military strength is not seen as threatening by an overwhelming number of countries both near
and afar. Its millennial civilisation and growth story within a democratic framework evokes
considerable interest in all regions of the world as a wide range of countries experience raucous
internal debates about the best policy tools for their own cohesive, inclusive progress. The
civilisational depth and breadth make it possible for all countries to find something in India to
relate to and to find an easy comfort level. In the prevailing milieu of deepening strategic
distrust among countries, this circumstance is a significant facilitator of a successful pursuit of
our national strategic interests.

Objectives of the study

The expression “soft power” may be understood in terms of a usable national capacity to
advance foreign policy objectives and priorities of a country by non-coercive means. Being an
ability to shape a broader narrative in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, it remains a vital
instrument in foreign policy by itself or as a complement to the application of “hard power,”
that is, military power or other types of compelling diplomacy.

The main Objective of the study was to address few questions- (a) What is Soft Power? and
its relevance in contemporary Global Politics. (b) History and Evolution of India’s Soft Power.
(c) India’s current scenario in Soft Power Politics. (d) How can respect for another country’s
political values influence policy affecting that country? (e) If one country supports the
legitimate policy of another country, is it because the latter is a soft power or because it agrees
with the policy outright?

In this paper I tried to show that India has a widespread (and often justified) reputation for
corruption, endemic poverty, and hostility to business. Reports in the international media of
pollution in urban areas, child labor and violence against women have also detracted
expatriates, tourists, businesspeople, and other visitors. At the same time, India’s associations
have started to change over the past quarter century from a land of poverty and Mother Theresa
to a source of software programmers and techies.
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However, despite these contrasting trends I find out that there are several reasons that may
explain why India fares worse on objective metrics of soft power than it should. First, any
measure of soft power that compares countries on a per capita basis is bound to favor developed
states over developing ones such as India. India may be home to more top 30 unicorns (billion-
dollar start-ups) than any country other than the United States and China, but its digital
penetration remains low, with millions still without access to electricity, let alone basic digital
technologies. Similarly, India has more UNESCO World Heritage sites than all but five other
countries and more public policy think tanks than any country outside the United States, China,
and the United Kingdom, but still fares poorly on tourism and education on a per capita basis.

Literature Review

I have considered several books as well as journals and research papers dedicated to the concept
of Soft Power in global Politics as well as India’s rise as a Soft Power. Books like "soft power"
introduced by Joseph Nye in the late 1980s. For Nye, power is the ability to influence the
behavior of others to get the outcomes you want.

In books like “The Concept of Power in the Study of International Relations.” by Holsti and
"The Concept of War” by Dahl remarks what power is and how actors(state) use it to benefit
the goal of their foreign policy and national interest.

Books like “India’s Soft Power: Prospects and Limitations” by Wagner, “Nonalignment 2.0”
by Khilnani and, several authors who have authored articles on this aspect of Indian foreign
policy (Wagner, 2005, 2010; Tharoor, 2008; Purushothaman, 2010; Lee, 2010c; Malone, 2011;
Mukherjee, 2013) brought a frame of India’s Stand and its National Interest in the form of Soft
Power and Foreign Policy.

Conclusion

On 21 June 2015, the world stood still. Hundreds and thousands of people around the globe,
parks and streets, shopping malls and airports, practiced asanas to celebrate first International
Yoga Day established by the United Nations. As the “Indian gift to the world” – yoga – basked
in its universal acclaim, India’s global image got a boost. Although much attention has been
focused on India’s economic progress and military achievements in recent years, its soft power
is no less important. Unlike hard military or economic power, soft power works through
attraction and cooptation rather than coercion and payoffs. India is familiar with this field and
 14

offers an interesting case for comparative studies of soft powers. It proves that the concept is
not confined to the Western world, and that the United States faces a strong competitor in India.
Yet soft power is not an alternative to hard power but rather, its supplement. An effective
amalgamation of both in a comprehensive external strategy is what can make a country a smart
power. As yoga cultivates harmony of the body and mind, smart power assumes mindful
balance of hard and soft power assets. If India can translate this rule in its foreign policy it is
set to emerge even more as a major global player.

The fact that members of the governing elite in India realize the necessity of using soft power
was clearly demonstrated in the electoral manifesto of BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party, Indian
People’s Party), in power since the 2014 elections. This manifesto emphasized the importance
of soft power in foreign policy and announced the adoption of a more active style of diplomacy,
especially making use of and emphasizing its spiritual, cultural, and philosophical dimension
(Kugiel, 2014). One of the goals of this political program was strengthening of India’s image
by using the power of 5Ts: tradition, talent, tourism, trade, and technology.

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