Modi Joins the G7 Summit in Italy as He Prepares for the SCO Summit Next Month
Edition #3 – India Balancing Its Global Outreach Amid Ukraine War and Sino-Russian Alignment
Editor’s note
During his first visit abroad this term, Prime Minister Modi attended the G7 Summit in Italy. He held bilateral meetings with Macron, Meloni, Sunak, and Kishida. Modi also met with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on the sidelines. However, he did not participate in the Peace Summit hosted by Switzerland this weekend (on June 15-16). India, the only South Asian country at the Summit, along with six other G20 countries (excluding Russia), did not sign the Joint Communique. Next month, Modi will join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Kazakhstan, where he will meet Xi and Putin. This reflects India's ongoing diplomatic engagement amid the Ukraine war and the Sino-Russian alignment.
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Our main highlights for this edition:
“PM’s first trip abroad in Modi 3.0: A chance to reboot relations with the West” by C. Raja Mohan for The Indian Express
“Managing India’s conflict with China and its cooperation with Russia while expanding ties with the West is likely to test Indian diplomacy in the coming weeks and months amidst the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine and mounting military tensions between Beijing and its neighbours in the Western Pacific. India, which has been a regular invitee to the G7 gatherings in the last few years, has a stake in developing deeper collaboration with the institutions of the so-called “collective West”. As it confronts more demanding challenges on several global fronts, it is in the interest of the West to draw India into the structures of global governance driven by the G7.”
“Evolving strategies on the India-China border” by Aparna Pande for Geopolitical Intelligence Services
“For New Delhi, the India-China dispute is a bilateral, not multilateral affair. But India seems more willing in recent years to let China know that it is not without powerful friends and is not averse to engaging with other countries that are concerned about China’s rise.”
“India's Voters Give Narendra Modi a Third Term” by Patryk Kugiel for PISM
“The elections confirmed the vitality and efficiency of democracy in India, sending a positive signal to the world, while the quality of democracy on a global scale is regularly deteriorating and authoritarian regimes are strengthening. Modi’s return as prime minister, even with a weaker mandate and stripped of the aura of an invincible strongman, makes him one of the longest-serving leaders of the G20 member states and strengthens India’s position in international affairs as vibrant democracy. At the same time, the warning sent by the voters may encourage the new government to focus more on internal economic challenges, which can reduce its activity in the international arena.”
Indian Foreign Policy in Brief
“India’s global role will grow in Modi’s third term” by Brahma Chellaney for The Hill
“India’s independent approach to international affairs is unlikely to change given that New Delhi believes in friendship without dependence. This makes India the world’s ultimate “swing state” in the current transition from the post–World War II American-led order to a new global order whose contours are still not clearly visible.”
“The chaiwallah’s son” (The Modi Raj, Podcast Episode) by Avantika Chilkoti for The Economist
“Narendra Modi has been chosen to lead India for the third time in a row. But after 10 years in power, he was humbled at the 2024 national election. What kind of leader will he be? Stories from his youth in the Hindu nationalist movement offer clues.”
“After India’s Surprising Elections, What’s Next for Modi’s Foreign Policy?” by Daniel Markey for USIP
“Widely expected to cruise to a third-straight majority in India’s parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) instead lost ground and must now rely on its National Democratic Alliance partners, especially the Janata Dal (United) party and the Telugu Desam Party, to form a coalition government. While the stunning results will have immediate consequences for Modi’s domestic agenda, foreign and national security policies are not top priorities for India’s new parliament. Still, the political changes associated with coalition rule and the BJP’s unanticipated electoral setback could affect India’s international relationships in important ways.”
Spotlight on EU-India Relations
“Rebooting EU-India relations: How to unlock post-election potential” by James Crabtree and Manisha Reuter for the ECFR
“Ties between Brussels and New Delhi have long struggled to reach their potential. After their respective elections, shared geopolitical concerns about China and common goals on topics from technology to economic security can provide a chance for a reboot”
Spotlight on “Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai” (Sino-Indian relations)
“Modi’s Taiwan Ties Have Rattled China” by Rishi Iyengar for Foreign Policy
“The manner of that reelection, which culminated with Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party failing to secure a majority on its own and having to rely on smaller parties to form a coalition government, could also have played a role in the Indian prime minister’s decision to antagonize Beijing by publicly engaging Taiwan. “Many people believe that this was because Modi was being seen as a much weaker leader after the election results,” Sushant Singh said, adding that for Modi, the response to Lai “was also a way of conveying strength, conveying that he’s going to stand up to China, and he’s going to be as bold and tough as he was in Modi 2.0.””
“Why India is not the next China” with Alicia García Herrero for Asia Society (Podcast Episode)
In this conversation Alicia argues why India cannot replicate China’s success of the past decades. She delves into the key differences between the two countries and discusses the economic policies that could drive India's growth.
A Tech Lens to India
“Striking A Balance In India’s Evolving AI Odyssey” by Fatima Tahir for 9DASHLINE
“While multiple policy initiatives have been introduced, they lack coherence and fail to adequately address the complex ethical, legal, and societal implications of AI technologies. These shortcomings stem in part from a lack of public consultations in policymaking. Certain groups or perspectives are often subtly included or excluded, leading to an uneven representation. The consultative committees shaping these frameworks are stacked with market leaders such as Google, Microsoft, and IBM Watson alongside academics, with only minimal involvement from civil society organisations advocating for the public interest. This exclusion leads to blind spots regarding the potential impact on societal stakeholders such as workers and their rights.”
Spot your event on Indian foreign policy
“Understanding the Trajectory of India’s Border Infrastructure along the LAC” by ORF. The latest iteration of ORF’s National Security Dialogues aims to discuss the trajectory of India’s border infrastructure along the LAC. This is an in-person event in New Delhi.
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