The schools of Indian foreign policy: identity, power, and pragmatism

Abstract

This article explores the evolution of Indian foreign policy from independence to 2019, analyzing the influence of historical, ideological, and domestic factors on its international relations. The central question is how India's schools of foreign policy -Gandhianism, nonaligned developmentalism, Hindu nationalism, and neoliberal globalism- have shaped its role on the global stage. The research adopts a historical-analytical approach, examining primary sources such as government documents, speeches, and treaties, combined with secondary literature. The study proposed here posits that India's international behavior has been determined by its pursuit of global leadership, regional security and economic development, with each of the schools of foreign policy mentioned here contributing distinct strategies to these ends. This article proposes a nuanced understanding of how India negotiates its identity and power in a multipolar world.