The global stand of any country is dependent on the nation’s hard and soft power. So do India, a growing nation with a tremendous influence of its soft power more than its hard power.

The developing economy and the military powers in India are its hard power, which influence the interests of other political bodies. The hard power also depicts the tangible sources absorbed in a nation like its geographical territory, population, resources (natural & artificial), and the country’s economic and militant strength. 

The soft power dwells in different facets of Indian culture and heritage, tourism and many other intangible resources. India’s soft power shapes the preferences and motivates people through its unique appeal and attraction. It is also an ability to attract people and co-opt India’s culture.

The soft power in any nation makes a country a superpower. American political scientist Joseph Nye coined ‘Soft Power’ in the late 1980s. India is the world’s largest democracy and is one of the most influential nations in terms of Soft Power. The reason behind this is that the Indian culture is famous worldwide. Also, the democratic status gives a solid foothold to persuading international standing. 

Though India has a sociocultural and political reputation worldwide, India suffers from corruption trends, unemployment and poverty, etc., which ruins India’s reputation. In contrast to all the world’s authoritarian powers, India has secured a world position. It is described as a model of soft power or a nation filled with its rich culture and democracy.

India is absent from The Soft Power 30 Index, having incredible potential. India has not benefited as much from international awareness, positive associations, or investment in cultural diplomacy. 

Although India has not fit into the Soft Power 30 Index rankings, it is still considerably elevated due to its rich culture, political standpoint, and foreign policies. The technological growth in India is due to the robust post-independence relationships with the USA and the Soviet Union, which contributed to the formation of the Indian Institutes of Technology. 

The principles on which India stood firm are its moral values. India has consistently performed its duties on peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance, which has given the country a lift in the international order. However, India’s soft power hasn’t been appropriately measured in terms of metrics generally used to measure a country’s soft power. 

One day, India will achieve enough influence to upgrade the soft power rankings and gain influence in international politics. The thinkers, political leaders, opinion leaders, preachers, writers, the cultural maestros in India are on a continuous mission to elevate the inner strength of the country- we can expect the nation’s soft power to grow gradually. 

Written By:- 

Biswambhar Bose

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Mass Communication & Media Technologies

SGT University, Gurugram