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the IT sector to India’s economy, Harris (2005: 19) posited that “in 2003, India had 52 per cent of the global revenues from outsourced IT work and 46 per cent of the employment” and in 2005, well over 400 hundred countries outsourced IT contracts valued more than $1 million to India. As companies in states like the United States outsource their work to IT companies, the employment in this sector tilts in favour of India. India is also ahead of China in this sector as India’s companies constitute about 40 percent of China’s IT exports (Harris, 2005, p. 19). Thus, India’s economic success has resulted in hundreds of millions of Indians entering the middle class and has subsequently reduced the level of poverty in the country. In addition, India has now become a major player in international organisations like the ASEAN, the East Asian Summit, the Shangai Cooperation Organisation and the African Union (Mohan, 2006).
In terms of its military strength, India ranks eighth in world’s military spending with $46.1 billion and only spends 2.5 percent of its GDP to this end. India ranks above the European powers of Germany and Italy which rank nineth and tenth with an expenditure of $45.8 billion and $34.0 billion respectively. In terms of the size of its armed forces in comparative terms with the world, India ranks second in army, fourth in airforce and fifth in naval force (Shamsi, 2012).
In addition, like Russia and China, India is a nuclear power state with an estimated capacity of 110 warheads. It successfully launched its first nuclear bomb in 1974 and has made further advancements in the technology. India has also been procuring sophisticated military arsenals such as nuclear-powered marines, aircraft carriers, long-range combat aircraft and is developing an intercontinental ballistic missile with the capacity to strike beyond 5,000km (Ladwig, 2010).
India’s military force is close in numbers to America’s military and it has maintained a 13-25 percent growth in its budget annually (Edelman, 2010, p. 49). The Asian country has made efforts to boost its spending on military research and development and has endeavored to modernise its land, navy and air force and equipment. To this end, $30 billion was allocated to the air force to procure, among others, aircraft, missiles and the repair of air defense equipment (Keling, Shuib, & Ajis, 2009, p. 25). Particular attention is given to its navy owing to the strategic importance of the sea in its international trade. Ladwig (2010) observed that in terms of quantity and actual worth, 90 percent and 77 percent of India’s international trade respectively, is facilitated by the sea. This makes India a natural naval power and the Asian power is actively involved in the maritime balance of power politics in the Asia-Pacific with the United States,
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China and Japan (Scott, 2007). In this light, $20 billion was allocated to the navy for the procurement of two airplane carrier tankers, submarines, missiles and surveyor aircrafts (Keling, Shuib, & Ajis, 2009, p. 25).
According to Mohan (2006) India’s grand strategy can be viewed from the prism of three concentric circles. In the first circle which covers its sub-region, India strives for hegemony. In the second circle, which comprises Asia and the Indian Ocean, India endeavours to counter the influence of competing states that may jeopardise its interests. And in the last circle, which embodies the global system, India projects itself as a great player to be reckoned with regarding issues around international politics. Against this backdrop, despite continued United States interest in maintaining a military presence in India, the Asian giant has denied Washington its territory for a military base to further its strategic interests in the region. However, India appears to be the BRIC member with the most sympathetic attitudes towards the United States as was evident in its support of the United States war on terrorism in Afghanistan and in how it has distanced itself from the criticism of the United States war in Iraq (Skak, 2011).
There is no gainsaying the fact that India is a soft power state and this explains why its rise has not been greeted with suspicion like the Chinese ascendancy. India’s soft power is visible in South East Asian states owing to a shared culture and traditions (Purushothaman, 2010). India’s cultural influence is also visible in other states across the world, like Iran and South Africa, due to the long standing cultural link between India and these countries. India’s Bollywood, diaspora, music and art have become widespread across the globe (Purushothaman, 2010). In terms of its culture, India’s historical link with states like Iran, Rome and South East Asian states has enabled generational mobility of the Indian culture in those countries. In South East Asia, the Indian culture is visible in temples of Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia (Purushothaman, 2010). One of India’s religions – Buddhism – is practised across the globe and its presence is highly visible in countries such as Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Taiwan and Tibet. The reach of India’s yoga cannot be overemphasised. It is widely believed to be efficient for stress relief and is a form of exercise whose reach permeates the Western states (Blarel, 2012). Partly due to huge diasporas across the globe, Indian foods are not only popular within their immediate regions but they are also well- known in the West and Africa, most especially in the United Kingdom and South Africa. The
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Indian movie industry –Bollywood – is the number one industry in the world in terms of production of films, a position it achieved after outstripping the United State’s Hollywood.
Indian movies appeal to an international audience and Indian movies such as the “Slumdog millionaire” and the “Three idiots” have shaken the entertainment world in terms of the large audiences and the praise they attracted across the globe. Slumdog Millionaire won eight Oscar awards in 2009. It goes without saying that Bollywood has successfully penetrated Europe, Africa and Asia and the Middle East (Blarel, 2012). Indian soft power is evident in Africa;
consider the Bollywood film industry and the Indian food outlets across the continent.44 By 2009, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) had established 22 cultural centres in 19 states;
these centres provide other countries with a taste of Indian culture which is promoted by film festivals, book fairs and art events (Wagner, 2010)
In the realm of foreign policy, India’s non-violent methods promoted by its charismatic leader, Mahatma Gandhi, in the struggle for independence have always contributed to a positive image of India in the world. India has always tilted towards a multilateral approach in its international relations. As Nye (2004) rightly pointed out, when a state’s foreign policy is seen to be inclusive in the eyes of others, such a state amasses or boosts its soft power efficacy. On the other hand, when a state’s foreign policy is seen to be unilateral or arrogant, such a state erodes its soft power. India was one of the states that condemned colonisation and global armaments. India stood for the position of the developing states at the level of the United Nations, particularly under the administration of Jawaharlal Nehru (Wagner, 2010). India was a pioneering member of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1947 and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the formation of the non-aligned movement (Wagner, 2010). In 2003, alongside Brazil and South Africa, India formed an international organisation called IBSA Dialogue Forum with the primary objective to promote cooperation among these countries and the developing world at large. In 2009, India, Brazil, Russia, China established BRIC which was later joined by South Africa to distort the international balance of power in their favour against a western dominated order. In the Middle East where both the United States and China do not wield much soft power45, India wields some level of soft power owing to India’s support for Palestine in the United Nations (Purushothaman,
44 An interview with South African scholar 1
45 An interview with American Scholar 2
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2010). In terms of political values, India has gained respect in the world as the largest democracy in the universe and its democracy has been stable and sustainable. India has never experienced military rule since independence (Purushothaman, 2010). The success story of India’s democracy has revealed to the developing nations that democracy can indeed function effectively no matter the level of development of a state and irrespective of whether a state is in the western world or not. This can be attributed to India’s credible elections since independence and an inclusive system which ensures that even the conventionally marginalised groups participate actively in the art of governance. India’s recorded success in its democracy is unprecedented among states that gained independence after World War II (Wagner, 2010). In this light, Bhutan and Nepal’s decision to embrace democracy reflects the success recorded by the Indian democracy (Purushothaman, 2010). Democratic states are usually characterised by a high level of citizens’
involvement in the decision making process and rule is by the consent of the governed.
Therefore, it can be argued that India’s democracy boosts the soft power efficacy of this country unlike China which is criticised for its authoritarian style of politics. However, the violation of human rights by the institutions of the state such as the police and the military can tarnish the image India has laboured to build for itself as the largest and respectable democracy in the world.
This perhaps explains why the Indian democracy is not viewed by other states as a model to follow despite its accolades (Wagner, 2010).
Given the potential in India for economic strength, cultural richness and democratic values, it is an Asian power with the capacity to influence major issues of the contemporary international politics. India has been able to manage relations with its rivals in its regions (China and Pakistan) and it has become more influential in the Persian Gulf, Asia, the Indian Ocean and Africa in addition to establishing commendable relations with other great powers like the United States (Mohan, 2006). India is an emerging great power especially when one considers India’s size and population and the fact that it owns nuclear weapons. India is also emerging as a technological power to be reckoned with. It will not only exert influence in Asia but the rest of the world.46
46 An interview with Nigerian scholar 2
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