The eleven years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership have not merely coincided with a period of profound global transformation – they have played a decisive role in shaping India’s place within this evolving world order. As the liberal international order unravelled, great power rivalries re-emerged, and geoeconomics began to eclipse free-market ideology, Modi infused Indian foreign policy with a bold, ambitious vision. This era has witnessed the end of India’s traditional diplomatic restraint, replaced by a new confidence rooted in assertive leadership, ideological conviction, and civilisational pride.
PM Modi’s unprecedented three consecutive terms have bestowed upon India a rare phase of political stability. This continuity has enabled the pursuit of long-term strategic objectives and the implementation of a coherent, consistent foreign policy – standing in sharp contrast to previous decades marked by frequent leadership changes and policy uncertainty. The result is an Indian diplomacy that is less reactive and more proactive, guided by a clear sense of purpose.
Unlike his predecessors, who often equated strategic autonomy with geopolitical caution, Modi has championed a policy of calibrated assertion. He has reimagined India not just as a nation defending its interests, but as a power actively shaping the global order. This transformation is evident in India’s growing willingness to take calculated risks, assert its interests, and lead on issues of international consequence.
Multi-Alignment: Balancing Great Powers
A defining feature of Modi’s foreign policy is India’s sophisticated multi-alignment. India has significantly deepened its partnership with the United States – culminating in landmark defence agreements, joint military exercises, and critical technology initiatives such as iCET – while simultaneously engaging with Russia, China, and other major powers through platforms like BRICS+, SCO, and the Quad. This adept balancing of relationships with rival blocs is rare among major global players and has established India as a truly independent actor on the world stage.
Modi’s decisiveness is perhaps most evident in his approach to China and Pakistan. Initially seeking constructive engagement with China through high-level summits in Wuhan and Mamallapuram, Modi shifted course decisively after the 2020 PLA incursions. India responded with its largest peacetime military mobilization in decades, imposed digital and investment sanctions, and intensified security cooperation within the Quad – marking a clear doctrinal shift from ambiguous engagement to resolute deterrence
With Pakistan, Modi brought an end to the era of “strategic patience.” The 2016 surgical strikes, the 2019 Balakot airstrikes, and the recent Operation Sindoor demonstrated India’s willingness to blur conventional and sub-conventional boundaries in response to terrorism. On the diplomatic front, India has worked to globally isolate Pakistan, increased FATF scrutiny, and decisively moved beyond its historical preoccupation with its western neighbour. The abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganisation of J&K further underscored India’s commitment to national security, leading to a marked reduction in terror incidents in the region.
Regional Initiatives: Neighbourhood First, Link West, and Act East
PM Modi has prioritised engagement with South Asian neighbours through the “Neighbourhood First” policy, launching connectivity initiatives like the BBIN (Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal) corridor and revitalising subregional groupings such as BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) to foster greater integration across South and Southeast Asia. At the same time, the “Act East” policy has deepened India’s strategic and economic engagement with Southeast Asian nations, strengthening ties with ASEAN and promoting connectivity, maritime cooperation, and trade.
Simultaneously, the “Link West” strategy has expanded economic and security partnerships with Gulf nations, leveraging India’s energy needs and diaspora presence for mutual benefit. Collectively, these regional strategies have broadened India’s strategic horizons, enhanced its influence, and contributed to stability and prosperity across its extended neighbourhood.
A defining feature of Modi’s foreign policy has been the “Link West” strategy, which marked an unprecedented deepening of India’s engagement with the Middle East. Modi’s proactive outreach included landmark visits to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Israel, and Palestine, setting a new tone for bilateral ties and signalling India’s willingness to play a larger role in the region’s affairs. Under his leadership, India elevated its relationship with the UAE to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, signed a landmark Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in 2022, and expanded cooperation in areas such as energy, logistics, nuclear power, and technology. Trade with the UAE alone reached nearly $84 billion in 2023-24, with ambitious targets for further growth. Modi’s government also played a key role in launching multilateral initiatives like the I2U2 grouping (India, Israel, UAE, US) and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), broadening India’s strategic horizons and integrating it into global infrastructure and supply chains. Crucially, Modi’s personal rapport with Gulf leaders and his focus on the Indian diaspora—now over 7 million strong in the region—have cemented robust political, economic, and people-to-people ties, turning the Middle East into a pillar of India’s foreign policy and diversifying its partnerships beyond traditional alignments.
Navigating Global Fault Lines
Modi’s leadership has shown extraordinary prescience in reading global changes. Well before Western capitals began discussing the end of the liberal order, Modi recognised the unravelling of older multilateral arrangements. Rather than clinging to institutional nostalgia, he doubled down on bilateralism and minilateralism, expanding India’s footprint in new forums like I2U2 and the IMEC corridor. His personal outreach to leaders across the spectrum—Trump, Biden, Putin, Abe, Macron, Mohammed bin Salman—has helped India skilfully navigate global fault lines.
Economic and Technological Diplomacy
Foreign policy under Modi has been closely tied to economic and technological objectives. The Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative is not isolationist but a strategic effort to rewire India’s economic base for resilience and advantage—ensuring supply chain security, boosting domestic defence production, and advancing digital connectivity. India has positioned itself as an essential partner in global value chains, and as an island of stability amid global economic fragmentation.
Modi’s government has elevated diaspora diplomacy, transforming the Indian community abroad into a bridge for influence and economic engagement. High-profile evacuation missions and welfare agreements have protected Indian citizens overseas, underscoring India’s emergence as a credible first responder in international crises. Over the last eleven years, the Modi government has launched twelve major rescue operations from conflict zones and disaster-stricken regions. Notable among these is Operation Ganga (2022), which evacuated around 25,000 Indians from war-torn Ukraine; Operation Sindhu (2025), which is rescuing thousands of Indian nationals (Nepali and Sri Lankan, too) amidst escalating hostilities between Iran and Israel; Operation Raahat (2015), which brought home over 4,600 Indians and nearly 1,000 foreign nationals from Yemen; and Operation Vande Bharat and Samudra Setu during the COVID-19 pandemic, which facilitated the return of lakhs of stranded citizens from across the globe. These missions, including the recent Operation Yamuna, reflect both the logistical prowess and the diplomatic agility of the Indian state in safeguarding its diaspora during emergencies, while the global promotion of yoga, Ayurveda, and digital public goods has enhanced India’s soft power. Global summits have become platforms for projecting India’s civilisational identity, not just its state interests.
The Ministry of External Affairs has undergone significant modernisation to improve efficiency and responsiveness. Modi’s energetic public engagement has made foreign policy accessible and relevant to ordinary Indians, breaking with the elite-driven approach of the past and fostering a sense of national ownership over India’s global ambitions.
Global Governance and Leadership
India’s G20 presidency in 2023 showcased Modi’s ambition to reshape global institutions. The addition of the African Union as a full member reflected a bold commitment to equality and diversity in global governance. Modi’s vision of India as a bridge between the West and the Rest resonated in a world seeking new leadership and a more inclusive order.
While India’s global stature has grown, challenges remain: managing legacy alliances, addressing the China challenge, and ensuring that domestic policies do not strain neighbourly relations. The assertive push for diaspora diplomacy, while generally positive, has occasionally led to tensions abroad. Yet, the overall trajectory is one of increasing confidence and capability.
Ultimately, it is the uniqueness of Modi’s personality as much as the magnitude of his ambition that distinguishes his foreign policy. His is a diplomacy that balances realism with narrative, firmness with adaptability, and national interest with civilisational self-assurance. As the tectonic plates of global power continue to shift, India under Modi has shed its strategic shyness. No longer content to play second fiddle or issue cautionary warnings from the sidelines, India is now an assertive, vocal, and ambitious force in the new world order. Narendra Modi hasn’t merely steered India through a crisis-filled decade—he has set it up to shape the decades that will follow.
