University of California Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation

India’s emergence as one of the great economic powers in the international system and its military strength position it to be a major player in the international system in the twenty-first century. However, its current policies, rooted in a vision of India’s role in the international order that once reflected a consensus of Indian elites, appear to reflect a mismatch between its growing means and its overall role in international affairs. The emergence of “new thinking” and debates are gradually breaking down the consensus of India’s founding generations. Drivers of change are many, but it remains to be seen which tips India from a passive regional power to a more assertive global one.