G20 podium
Sandeepp Saxena
NEW DELHI: As India assumes the presidency of the multilateral world organisations such as the Group of 20 (G20) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and prepares to hold their summits next year, it is evident that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s salience in world affairs is rising to new heights.
The reasons are not far to seek. A changing global context, a more transactional world and China’s assertiveness has increased India’s pool of potential friends.
Added to this is the increasing influence of PM Modi as a world leader. He not only enjoys the highest popular ratings amongst the heads of the states, but has established a personal rapport with major political leaders cutting across global fault-lines.
In recent months, India’s participation in more Western-oriented engagements is being noticed. In the G7, this time round, India was more of a partner in the agenda than an onlooker. Whether on the issue of climate change, the pandemic, the reworking of the international economy or the bolstering of democratic values, India has emerged as an important player.
India has always been a large producer of vaccines not just for its domestic market, but also for the rest of the world. That is an important fact whose strategic value has been highlighted by the Covid-19 pandemic. In the context of international vaccine cooperation, the focus on India as the future of cost-effective vaccine manufacturing has increased. On climate change, India was usually criticised in the past for not doing enough. However, since 2015, India has moved robustly towards improving its solar energy efforts, in particular through the International Solar Alliance, which is headquartered in New Delhi.
India remains a member of many dialogues that include China, such as the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), the RIC (Russia, India China), the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the East Asia Summit.
Through these it engages with China and other non-Western partners like Russia, Brazil, South Africa and Central Asia. All these nations remain strategically important to India.
However, the global and regional context in which these dialogues take place has altered due to China’s aggressive actions. It is now more necessary than ever to counter these globe-spanning efforts.
The world is becoming more transactional and crisis-driven. Hence the importance of the recent G7 summit, which manifested the new set of geopolitical engagements that India is developing. The G7 summit was preceded by the India-EU leaders meeting in May, which opened up new areas of cooperation and demonstrated a new willingness for both sides to engage.
In March 2021, the Quad Summit was held. The Quad has become a firm commitment of the Biden Administration. Japan and Australia are equally committed to balancing the relationship with China by vigorously developing alternative partnerships with India as a pivot.
India withdrew from the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) trade negotiations, due to the Chinese domination of the group. However, it is engaging afresh with Japan and Australia on the economic front. This includes the launching of the Supply Chain Resilient Initiative (SCRI), which aims to make supply chains more robust and independent of an overweening dependence on China.
India is also stepping up its engagement with ASEAN nations both as a block and in several trilateral arrangements. The latter include the India-Australia-Indonesia and the IndiaAustralia-France dialogues. Strategically well placed in the Indian Ocean and willing to play a role in providing maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, India is increasingly seen as a responsible player to uphold the international order.
