India’s Strategic Posture Amid Trump’s Global Reset

India’s Strategic Posture Amid Trump’s Global Reset

Context & Core Argument

C. Raja Mohan cautions that India must resist being drawn into permanent conflict with its neighbours, a scenario likely to attract undue great power interference. Instead, Delhi should prioritize diplomacy, domestic economic reforms, and political cohesion to safeguard its strategic footing.

Great Power Engagement: Risks for India

• Trump’s reorientation of global alliances—towards rapprochement with Russia, China, and Europe—poses risks to regional stability.
• As global power alignments shift, India must steer clear of being seen as aligned against any neighbour, to avoid escalating regional rivalries and strategic entanglements.
• Given India’s geopolitical sensitivities, pursuing a path that emphasizes strategic autonomy, while ensuring regional trust, becomes essential.

Policy Prescriptions for India

1. Revive Domestic Political Unity
   • A fragmented internal political landscape limits India’s ability to present cohesive strategic choices on the global stage.
2. Pursue Economic Reform
   • Strengthening the domestic economy—through structural reforms—enhances strategic independence and reduces vulnerability to external pressure.
3. Engage in Multilateral Diplomacy
   • Rather than choosing sides, India should amplify its presence in multilateral institutions (BRICS, SCO, Quad) to reinforce its role as a stabilizing pole.

Analytical Insight

• In this era of volatile global alignments, India’s success hinges on its ability to maintain agile foreign policy, guided by internal resilience rather than external loyalties.
• Mohan’s recommendation for domestic cohesion and reform is fundamentally a statecraft-centered approach—recognizing that a confident domestic base enables stable engagement externally.
• The call for balanced diplomacy reflects India’s traditional commitment to strategic autonomy, aligning selectively without becoming hostage to shifting great-power priorities.

MCQs (Field-building Review)

1. According to C. Raja Mohan, what is the primary risk if India slips into “permanent conflict with its neighbours”?
a) Increased military expenditure
b) Attraction of interference by great powers
c) Erosion of parliamentary democracy
d) Economic slowdown due to trade disruptions

2. Which of the following does Mohan emphasize as vital for India to safeguard strategic autonomy amid global shifts?
a) Forming exclusive alliances with the U.S.
b) Emphasizing domestic economic reforms and unity
c) Emulating Taiwan’s defense model
d) Increasing defence imports

Mains-style Question

“Discuss how India can balance strategic autonomy and regional stability amid fluctuating global great-power dynamics. Critically evaluate C. Raja Mohan’s proposal that India should prioritize diplomacy, domestic economic reform, and political unity over entanglements in global power realignments.”