Opinion | India and the World: A New Equation

As someone from a border district that once only made news during infiltration attempts, I have watched India’s rise with a certain personal pride. We were once the country others lectured. Now we are the country others consult. From Kupwara to Canberra, people are hearing what India has to say.

I come from Kupwara, a district that once felt like the farthest corner of the country, closer to the LoC than to Delhi. Growing up in Kashmir, international affairs felt distant, abstract, something that happened in power corridors and UN meetings far away. But in the last few years, even people like me, studying medicine and living far from foreign embassies or diplomatic circles, have started noticing a shift. India is no longer just reacting to global events. It is shaping them. The world today sees India differently. And that is not by accident. It is the result of a foreign policy that has become unapologetically self-assured. Under External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and PM Modi, India has found its diplomatic spine. We are no longer speaking in the tone others expect from us. We are speaking with clarity, and countries are listening.

Take the Russia-Ukraine war. While much of the West lined up into camps, India held its ground. We did not pick sides based on pressure. We picked our stance based on principle and pragmatism. We called for peace but did not surrender our long-standing ties with Moscow. At the same time, we kept dialogue open with the US, Europe, and Ukraine. That balancing act, firm, ethical, and sovereign, sent a message. India will not be bullied into bloc politics. This confidence was not born overnight. It was years in the making, and it is visible in actions, not just words. During the Israel-Hamas conflict, when most countries were busy choosing rhetoric, India called out terror for what it was. No double standards. No hidden clauses. Just a clear moral line. The old habit of being vague in foreign crises is gone.

Our handling of Operation Ganga during the Ukraine crisis set a new benchmark. Later, when the Middle East turned volatile again, Operation Sindu ensured our citizens were evacuated swiftly and safely. But what truly marked a shift in India’s international posture came after the Pahalgam terror attack. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor, a calculated and strategic military response targeting terror infrastructure across the border. What stood out was not just the precision of the operation itself, but the confidence with which India owned it. Parliamentary delegations were sent to key global capitals, not to justify the strike, but to brief foreign governments on India’s rationale. That was not routine diplomacy. That was a country standing tall, refusing to be apologetic for defending its own.

India’s G20 presidency was another turning point. It was not just about hosting fancy events. It was about changing the tone of the conversation. For the first time, issues of the Global South, debt, digital divide, energy access, were pushed to the front. And it was India doing the pushing. Countries from Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia looked at us not just as a bigger country, but as a voice that understands their struggles. Defence partnerships are deepening too. India-US ties have gone beyond photo ops. Joint drills, tech transfers, and the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor are no longer abstract ideas. Our ties with France, Australia, and Japan are strategic, not symbolic. Even traditional partners like Russia remain steady. And in the Indo-Pacific, India is emerging as the stabilizing force.

Trade tells another story. In 2023–24, India’s exports hit record highs. We are signing FTAs with countries like Australia and the UAE, and actively engaging with Africa. The Rupee is slowly entering the global payment mix. Indian tech firms, pharma giants, and space startups are no longer just servicing the West. They are setting global standards. Then there is vaccine diplomacy. At the peak of COVID-19, India sent vaccines to over 90 countries under the Vaccine Maitri initiative. It was not charity. It was leadership. It built trust. It built gratitude. And more importantly, it reminded the world that compassion and power can co-exist.

People often forget that diplomacy is not about grand speeches at the UN. It is about what happens behind closed doors, during a crisis, when stakes are high. That is where India has shown it can hold its nerve. Whether it is standing up to Western hypocrisy on buying oil, or calling out Canada’s double-speak on extremism, or blocking Chinese attempts to derail multilateral platforms, India has played the long game, and played it smart. As someone from a border district that once only made news during infiltration attempts, I have watched India’s rise with a certain personal pride. We were once the country others lectured. Now we are the country others consult. From Kupwara to Canberra, people are hearing what India has to say.

What changed? The answer is simple. We stopped trying to fit in and started owning our space. And that is thanks, in no small part, to a foreign policy led by people who understand both diplomacy and dignity. The world today does not just see India as the world’s most populous country. It sees a country that stands for its people, no matter where they are on the map. And for me, that is the most reassuring part of all.

The writer is a student activist and can be reached at soulofkashmir1@gmail.com