Forging India’s Hard Power in the New Century

Geography, geo-politics, technology, economy and culture mostly shape a state’s preferences in terms of hard power to serve its national security interests and objectives. States often pursue multiple security objectives - some more imagined than real – and herein lies the strategic dilemma. For a country like India, which seeks to carve out an independent path, the rise to great power status will require capable, ready and relevant instruments of force. This issue brief examines the problem of fashioning India’s hard power at four significant levels: first, it identifies those key strategic and economic opportunities that are currently driving India’s military rise; second, the critical security challenges and threats that the country might have to face in the immediate and foreseeable future; third, the organisational hurdles and inhibitions that limit the national capacity to tackle these challenges; and finally, the changes that are necessary in the medium to long term to build military efficacy and efficiency.

Download Issue Brief