In the age of global spectacle, where diplomacy is often reduced to headlines and hashtags, the idea of soft power feels quietly radical. Unlike military might or economic coercion, soft power thrives on persuasion, not pressure. It is the subtle, sustained influence a country exercises through its values, culture, education, and moral credibility.
India, positioned as both the oldest civilisation and the world’s largest democracy, is uniquely poised to wield this influence. And in South Asia, a region entangled in shared histories and ongoing tensions, that power matters more than ever.
Soft Power: An Old Currency With New Stakes
Soft power isn’t new to India. From the peaceful export of Gandhian philosophy to the global footprint of Bollywood, yoga, and Ayurveda, India has long cultivated influence through civilisational continuity rather than conquest. What’s different now is the intent and strategy behind its deployment.
Today, soft power is not just a cultural residue. It is a calculated instrument of foreign policy. And nowhere is this more visible than in India’s approach to its South Asian neighbours.
The Modi Doctrine: Assertive Soft Power
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s external engagement has undergone a visible transformation. It has shifted from reactive diplomacy to a more performative, personality-driven projection of national identity. His government has rebranded India as a Vishwa Guru (world teacher), invoking a kind of civilisational exceptionalism rooted in Indic traditions.
Beyond symbolic gestures like gifting Bhagavad Gitas to world leaders or delivering speeches in regional languages, the Modi administration has expanded programs like ITEC (Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation) and SAARC scholarships, trained bureaucrats and healthcare workers across the region, and supported infrastructure and digital connectivity in Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, and Afghanistan.
Whether through medical diplomacy during the pandemic, vaccine exports under "Vaccine Maitri," or capacity-building in governance, India has tried to position itself as the benevolent regional leader who commands consent rather than compliance.
Between Trust and Tension
But soft power, by its very nature, relies on credibility. And that’s where the challenge lies.
India’s domestic policies, including debates around the CAA-NRC and its handling of Kashmir, have strained its moral capital in the eyes of some neighbours. In countries like Bangladesh and Nepal, where political rhetoric sometimes frames India as intrusive or indifferent, these shifts haven’t gone unnoticed.
Soft power cannot be selective. You cannot offer scholarships abroad while silencing dissent at home and expect admiration without scrutiny. Authentic influence requires consistency between what we preach and what we practise.
Law, Legitimacy, and Regional Order
From a legal perspective, India’s soft power has been quietly codified in its commitment to peaceful coexistence and international cooperation, as seen in Article 51 of the Constitution. But beyond idealism, there is realpolitik. In a region where China’s economic assertiveness looms large, India’s soft power is one of its most strategic assets.
While China builds ports and highways, India builds human capital. It invests in shared cultural narratives, linguistic familiarity, and educational trust. This approach isn’t just more humane, it is also more sustainable. Especially in a region as emotionally and historically entangled as South Asia.
Why This Conversation Matters — Especially Now
As someone on the cusp of adulthood, trying to navigate law and diplomacy in a world where loudness is often mistaken for leadership, I find soft power deeply compelling. Because it asks different questions.
Not "How do we dominate?"
But: How do we belong?
How do we build influence that isn’t extractive, but generative?
How do we lead without leaving others behind?
In South Asia, where borders are sharp but hearts often blurred, India’s greatest advantage isn’t its GDP or military budget. It is its ability to be listened to without speaking over.
Power doesn’t have to roar. Sometimes, it only needs to resonate.
India’s soft power is not a historical accident. It is a strategic inheritance. But to keep it alive, we must guard its soul: integrity, humility, and the audacity to imagine leadership beyond the binary of domination and retreat.
Because in a world growing cynical of loud empires, maybe the future belongs to those who whisper wisely.