India aspires to become a superpower. As stated by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, no country can thwart these ambitions of New Delhi. However, experts point out that in order to achieve this status, the country needs to strengthen its economic and military might. Will India be able to realize its ambitions?
India is on the way to becoming a superpower, said the country's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. According to NDTV, these words were spoken in the context of a discussion of the recently imposed tariffs on local products by the United States. The head of the military department stressed that in this way external players are trying to force other countries to abandon cooperation with New Delhi.
It is noteworthy that Singh did not directly criticize the United States. However, in his statement, he blamed some "bosses for everyone" who "are unable to accept India's progress" and also understand why this state is improving so quickly. "I can assure you that with the pace at which New Delhi is developing, no state can prevent us from becoming a superpower," he concluded.
India has long been committed to becoming a globally recognized player. So, back in 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking on the occasion of the 76th anniversary of independence, noted that India, after "a thousand years of enslavement," was waiting for "a thousand years of greatness, " Vedomosti reminds.
According to him, the achievement of prosperity will lie through a large-scale economic and social transformation thanks to such resources as "demography, democracy and diversity." In the sphere of foreign policy, Modi noted that New Delhi is becoming the "voice of the Global South", which "brings the promise of stability" to this world.
Last week, the United States imposed 25% duties on Indian imports. This measure was Washington's "response" to India's purchase of Russian oil. Meanwhile, New Delhi called the updated duties "unfair," and Modi urgently convened a cabinet meeting to discuss further actions.
In particular, India has already abandoned plans to purchase Stryker combat vehicles from the United States, as well as Javelin anti-tank missiles. At the same time, New Delhi continues to increase ties with Moscow. Thus, the republic declared its readiness to expand cooperation with the Russian Federation in the production of aluminum, fertilizers and railway transport, RIA Novosti writes.
"There are no universally recognized and objective criteria for classifying any country as a superpower. It is in many ways an intangible concept. If we take into account exclusively economic indicators, then perhaps only the United States or China can be considered as such. In the field of military power, Washington and Moscow claim this title," says Timofey Bordachev, program director of the Valdai Club.
"Accordingly, if we consider both of these factors, then only the United States can be called a superpower. But still, this is incorrect, because America is not able to crush Russia economically, and it will not be able to overcome us with the help of brute force. This means that the US power is not absolute," he clarifies.
"Thus, the possibility of classifying a country as a superpower largely depends on the criteria that we will initially set. If, for example, the criterion of international influence is used as a basis, then India will probably be very close to being considered a global leader in this area," the expert emphasizes.
"However, it is already clear that New Delhi is a significant international player.,
the pace of development of which will only grow over the years. Therefore, it is not necessary to lose sight of this country when analyzing the international situation," the source explains.
"Such a role of India is beneficial for Russia. Ultimately, we are talking about a sovereign State capable of pursuing a truly independent policy. Washington actively pressured New Delhi to force the republic to join the sanctions against Moscow. But she didn't take that step. Although India can cooperate with the West, it will never agree to serve it," says Bordachev.
The very term "superpower" is speculative, agrees Alexey Kupriyanov, head of the Center for the Indian Ocean Region at the Russian Academy of Sciences. "In principle, this word can be used to designate any country whose combined military, economic and political power surpasses that of other countries in the world," he adds.
"It is possible for several superpowers to exist at the same time,
like, for example, the USA and the USSR, if their characteristics are relatively similar. With this approach, India, of course, cannot be included in this definition. To join this "club", the country needs to at least approach the size of the United States and China in terms of GDP. But that's still a long way off," Kupriyanov says.
Meanwhile, Vadim Kozyulin, head of the IAMP center at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, believes that some criteria of a superpower can still be distinguished. "For example, military power, in particular the presence of nuclear weapons, can be considered such. In the economic sphere, an important characteristic is at least partial independence from external supplies," he says.
"Soft power capabilities are also needed, that is, the ability of a country to achieve its interests without using military pressure on an opponent. As for the diplomatic criteria, here
The presence of the state in the UN Security Council is suitable, or, alternatively, the ability to defend one's own interests by another method.
Thus, India, for the most part, meets the requirements I have mentioned. Today, this republic is a country that has proven in practice its commitment to a truly sovereign policy. It does not succumb to Western pressure on cooperation with Russia," the expert emphasizes.
"This success is not available to small countries. At the same time, the country's geopolitical interests extend far beyond South Asia, which indicates an important fact: India has long outgrown the level of a regional power. And this is certainly good for Moscow, because in the face of the republic we get, if not an ally, then at least a reliable negotiating partner in one area or another," concluded Kozyulin.
Evgeny Pozdnyakov
