India, Non-alignment and Emerging Global Governance

Abstract

India is a significant part of Rising Asia, which has attracted considerable international attention in recent years. Two decades of sustained economic growth along with its functional liberal democratic institution of governance has made India an emerging leading voice in matters related to the reform of institutions of global governance including the UN, International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank and other ‘global common’ issues such as ocean, air, space and Internet, security, trade and climate. This article attempts to highlight the emerging orientation and the policy shift in the Indian leadership towards the issue of its vision and shaping of emerging global political and economic order and argues that, contrary to the prevailing view, India continues to conduct its foreign policy within the broad normative order of discourse of non-alignment, which has served India’s national interest well, including its rising aspiration of becoming a global power. The article also reflects upon the domestic challenges and unstable regional dynamics that hamper its capacity to become a global player and share the responsibility expected from a global power.