Assess the Proposition That India Will Become the Next Superpower

Abstract

This article explores the proposition that India will become the world’s next superpower. It discusses the three defining criteria of a superpower – economic strength, military might and soft power – and examines the extent to which India fulfils them in comparison with the current reigning hegemon, the United States, and potential contender China. In doing so, this article examines the favourable conditions for, and possible impediments to, India’s prospects of attaining great-power status. Based on the analysis conducted, this study argues that the South Asian country’s hopes of rising into the league of superpowers will ultimately be dashed if its advantageous conditions are weakened by an inability or unwillingness to address some of its most pressing problems.