Indian foreign policy within the evolving world order is a dynamic mix of realism, strategic autonomy, and civilizational ethos. While the liberal international order disintegrates and multipolarity gains root, India is not just adjusting - it is moulding the shape of the new global architecture. By reconciling hard power and soft influence, and national interest and global responsibility, India is rising as a decisive factor in the world order of the 21st century. The international system is in the midst of seismic changes. The emergence of multipolarity, the erosion of Western dominance, the return of nationalism, and the rise of new power poles have combined to upset the post-Cold War liberal world order. In this changing scenario, India’s foreign policy has shifted from Nehruvian idealism to strategic pragmatism, establishing itself as a major player in international governance.

India has been an influential member of the United Nations (UN) since its inception in 1945, consistently advocating for peace, equality, and multilateral cooperation. As one of the original signatories to the Declaration by United Nations in 1942 and a participant in the 1945 San Francisco Conference, India has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to the UN Charter and its objectives. Over the decades, India has played a crucial role in peacekeeping operations, championed the rights of developing nations, and promoted global governance reforms. Having served eight terms as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC), most recently during 2021–22, India continues to advocate for the democratisation and comprehensive reform of the Council’s structure to ensure equitable representation. As a member of the G4 nations, India supports collective efforts to secure permanent representation for emerging powers. Its engagement with the UN also reflects its evolving foreign policy priorities, balancing national interests with global responsibilities. India’s active participation in multilateral dialogues on climate change, trade, terrorism, and sustainable development underscores its growing global influence and commitment to international cooperation. Despite challenges in securing a permanent UNSC seat, India’s enduring dedication to multilateralism, peace, and global equity highlights its emergence as a responsible and proactive actor in the evolving international order.

The 21st century marks a pivotal era in India–United States relations, where shared democratic values, mutual economic interests, and convergent strategic visions have turned a once cautious relationship into a comprehensive global partnership. The evolution of India–US ties demonstrate a dynamic blend of pragmatism, interdependence, and technological innovation. This research paper analyses the multidimensional partnership between India and the United States across three critical pillars—trade, defence, and technology—while situating them within the context of changing global geopolitics between 2020 and 2025. Trade between India and the U.S. has surpassed $200 billion, making America India’s largest trading partner. Defence relations have deepened through foundational agreements like LEMOA, COMCASA, and BECA, while joint military exercises such as Malabar and Yudh Abhyas underscore shared Indo-Pacific security goals. The technology partnership, energized by the 2023 Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), has expanded cooperation in AI, quantum computing, semiconductors, cybersecurity, and space exploration. Despite these advances, the relationship faces challenges such as trade imbalances, visa restrictions, differing positions on Russia and China, and domestic political constraints. However, both nations continue to identify common ground in addressing climate change, digital governance, and global health. India’s G20 presidency in 2023 and its assertive diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific reflect a confident, globally engaged India partnering with the U.S. to shape a balanced, rules-based international order. This study concludes that the India–U.S. relationship has evolved into one of the most consequential global partnerships, built not only on mutual benefit but also on the shared commitment to preserve stability, democracy, and innovation in an increasingly multipolar world.

The bilateral relationship between India and China is one of the most consequential in contemporary Asia. It is characterised by a complex interplay of competition, conflict and cooperation. On one hand, India and China share deep historical, cultural and civilisational links and substantial economic engagement; on the other hand, they confront unresolved border disputes, strategic rivalries and asymmetric power dynamics. This paper seeks to map the evolving relationship between the two countries, by first outlining its historical and strategic foundations, then examining the drivers and instances of conflict and competition, followed by areas of cooperation, and finally assessing the prospects for the future. The analysis suggests that while competition is likely to remain the dominant mode, careful management of conflict and selective cooperation can help stabilise the relationship — albeit within the constraints imposed by structural asymmetries and mutual distrust.

The United Nations (UN), established in 1945, has played an integral role in global peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, and socio-economic development. For India, one of the founding members of the UN, the organization has been both a platform for global engagement and a partner in national development. This paper explores the multidimensional relationship between India and the United Nations, focusing on India’s contribution to UN peacekeeping, its role in policy formulation, and the UN’s impact on India’s development through specialized agencies. The study also examines India’s aspirations for greater representation in the UN system and evaluates the challenges and prospects of this evolving partnership.

Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are pivotal instruments in international economic diplomacy, enabling nations to expand market access, attract foreign investment, and enhance competitiveness. For India, a rapidly developing economy with global ambitions, FTAs have become an essential policy tool to integrate more deeply into global value chains and enhance exports. This paper explores the evolution, scope, and role of FTAs in India’s trade strategy, assesses their economic impact, identifies challenges, and discusses the future trajectory of India’s trade policy. Drawing upon data from government sources, international organizations, and recent trade negotiations, the paper highlights both the opportunities and constraints facing India in leveraging FTAs for sustainable economic growth.

This paper is focused on the relationships between India and Isreal and transformation since the end of cold war. There are ideological commitment, domestic politics and geopolitical consideration between India and Israel. Before 1991 there was limited relations between India and Israel because of limited ideological commitment, non- alignment, solidarity with the Arab world. Now we can see the strong relationships between two of them after the cold war era. It also explored the bilateral partnership has strengthened such as defence, intelligence sharing, in the filed of cybersecurity, advanced agriculture technologies, water management, different types of technology, more focused on space and innovations. There is more focus on strategic for economic development. It also focused on the historical evolution, cooperation between India and Israel, challenges and future of the both countries.

India-Pakistan relationship for decades has been idealized as an irreconcilable one. This paper traces the relationship between the two nations from the period of partition to make sense of the conflict. This process cannot be undertaken without understanding Pakistan’s Kashmir policy since 1947. Its policy revolves around the failure to create a nation for South Asian Muslims, which it sees as its inherent part, and the failure to not integrate it. This paper further examines the strategic importance of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir for China and its impact on the relation between India-Pakistan. The fundamental question that the paper seeks to answer is despite the present economic conditions of Pakistan and its inability to solve its internal issues, and continuous defeats in major wars with India, what ideational factors are present in Pakistan's strategic culture and how it perceives India based on these factors. This paper finally examines the factors involved that impact the relations between the two nations and explores the possibility of eternal peace.

In the 21st century, where diverse actions are taking place, the dominance of America continues to grow. Therefore, despite the emergence of a multipolar international system, the world is moving towards unipolarity. Emerging powers such as the European Union, China, Russia, Japan, Brazil, and India are on the rise. Of course, in this changing context, India's long-term strategic autonomy efforts have gained importance. This underscores the fact that India is capable of making independent foreign policy decisions that are consistent with its national interests. India's role is important not only politically but also economically and strategically at the global level. The positive growth in India's economy is also enough to remain active in the global policy process. India's leadership in the Global South as the voice of developing countries is important, and India's assistance to neighbouring countries is benefiting those countries. This is not only building diplomatic relations but also fostering long-term friendly relations.

As our Indian constitution rightly mentions ‘India that is Bharat’ and India's foreign policy is deeply rooted in the philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ ("the world is one family"). This philosophy emphasizes mutual respect, peace, and coexistence. While other traditional diplomacy focused on hard power and strategic interests, the changing global landscape of the 21st century has put more emphasis on "soft power," which refers to influencing others through attraction and persuasion rather than coercion. India's rich cultural heritage provides a wide range of soft power tools, including yoga, various languages, and ancient traditions. These are now being strategically used as crucial tools in today's Indian foreign policy. This research paper investigates the changing trends, ongoing challenges, and significant opportunities that arise from India's cultural diplomacy. It specifically focuses on yoga, language, and tradition as ways to improve its global influence and achieve our foreign policy goals.

Once, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee said, ‘You Can Change Your Friends, But not Neighbours’. Neighbouring countries play very crucial role in maintaining regional Peace, Security and Cooperation. In 2014, when Shri. Narendra Modi assumed the office of Prime Minister; He paid his first official bilateral foreign visit to Bhutan. The second official bilateral foreign visit was to Nepal. Modi administration’s these initial visits highlight the approach of the government to International Politics. Since 2014, Modi government has been working on strengthening India’s position in the regional politics and consolidation of relations with neighbouring countries through initiatives such as Development diplomacy, Economic cooperation, Political relations through regular visits, Social diplomacy and Security and Defence Cooperation. The realistic approach of newly formed government to International Politics, pursue the National Interests of India in the region. Under Modi administration India has successfully maintained cordial relations with neighbouring countries but countries like Pakistan and China continue to pose the challenge to India. Pakistan’s cross border terrorism and China’s String of Pearls policy try to challenge the influence of India in the region. India has strategically succeeded in countering these two major security challenges. This article studies the Indian endeavors to maintain the cordial relations with neighbouring countries and also countering the major political, economic and security challenges from the region.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) remains functionally historic, under an umbrella institutional design dating back to 1945. Composed of five permanent members known as “P5” members - United States, United Kingdom, France, China, Russian, and ten non-permanent members. The United Nation as organization was established aiming to create peace after WW2, to stop colonization and hawkish trade practices. But the UN and especially UNSC structure critically fails to reflect contemporary global distribution of power. India’s quest for a permanent seat, championed by the Group of Four (G4), commands strong political endorsement from four of the five incumbent P5 members (the US, UK, France, and Russia). However, this political support is strategically constrained by the procedural wall erected by the UN Charter. Any amendment to the Charter requires the ratification of all P5 members. This legal requirement provides a singular procedural lock for China, whose strategic opposition to empowering its regional rival serves as the primary and decisive impediment to India’s inclusion. The institutional rules, particularly the veto mechanism, were fundamentally designed to ensure institutional stability by protecting the incumbent great powers from structural change.

This study analyses the trajectory of India-Pakistan bilateral relations from 2012 to 2022, examining how persistent structural conflicts were amplified by domestic political shifts and evolving global geopolitics. The decade was characterized by "minimalist engagement"—a cycle of short-lived diplomatic overtures quickly derailed by major security crises. While the period began with a brief, cautious attempt at trade and visa liberalization (2012–2014), relations deteriorated sharply thereafter, culminating in a phase of kinetic military escalation. The 2016 Uri attack and India's subsequent "surgical strike," signaling a shift toward more assertive, proactive military responses. This article aims to analyze the significant geopolitical shifts in Pakistan-India relations from 2012 to 2022, focusing on key events and their implications for regional stability. The period witnessed fluctuating tensions and sporadic diplomatic engagements, marked by critical incidents such as the 2016 Uri attack and the 2019 Pulwama attack, which escalated military confrontations. Efforts towards peace, including the 2015 Ufa meeting and the Kartarpur Corridor initiative, reflected intermittent attempts at rapprochement. However, India's abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 further intensified the geopolitical rivalry, significantly affecting regional dynamics. The study employs a qualitative analysis of key diplomatic and military events, supplemented by a review of policy responses and their impact on bilateral relations. The research highlights the complex interplay of national security concerns, domestic politics, and international influences that shaped the trajectory of Pakistan-India relations during this decade. Strengthening diplomatic channels and confidence-building measures is essential to mitigate tensions and foster long-term regional stability. Keywords: Pulwama Attack, Balakot Airstrike, Uri Attack, Kashmir Dispute, Cross-Border Terrorism, Line of Control (LoC), Ceasefire Violations.

This Research paper examines the evolving India–Europe relationship through the twin lenses of economic interdependence and normative tensions over human rights. It maps trade and investment dynamics that have brought the European Union (EU) and India closer including intensified Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations and rising bilateral commerce and adjoining these with recurrent EU concerns about civil liberties, rule of law, and human-rights governance in India. Using a policy-document and media-content analysis of official statements, NGO communities, and major press coverage between 2021–2025, the research paper identifies the institutional instruments, political incentives, and friction points shaping a pragmatic but uneasy partnership. It argues that while material incentives (market access, technology, green transition cooperation) have strengthened strategic alignment, unresolved regulatory (CBAM, Deforestation Regulation, Foreign Subsidies Regulation) and normative frictions mean that the EU’s human-rights leverage will remain limited and conditional effective mostly where reputational costs and legislative instruments intersect. The Research paper concludes with policy recommendations for both sides to manage tensions while preserving a mutually beneficial strategic partnership.