Narendra Modi has officially started his third term in power as India’s prime minister—though electorally weakened, as his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had to rely on allied parties to secure the government. Some observers believe this could lead to an easing of Modi and the Hindutva-inspired BJP’s vitriol against minorities, but what will truly shape Modi’s legacy is how he handles Delhi’s ongoing rise as a global power. With the fifth largest economy, India continues to grow at a rapid pace, boasting a rapidly expanding economy with a significant market of nearly 1.5 billion people. Modi’s initial support stemmed from this, with supporters seeing him as key to fostering a “strong, self-reliant, self-confident India” that would “regain” its “rightful” place within the global community.
Modi, however, quickly paired his economic successes with anti-minority tirades, steering India toward an “ideological” state rather than a democratic one. This is in line with Hindu nationalism’s stated aim of making India stronger not just at home, but also abroad. During his previous two terms in power, Modi has utilized Hinduism as a “soft power” tool and pushed India’s global prominence by securing it memberships in several global fora, as well as entering a new “quad” arrangement with the U.S., the U.A.E., and Israel. India under Modi has also cemented its status as an arms producer, selling its wares to its Indo-Pacific partners, while projecting its naval power in the Middle East “to protect and assist ships targeted by missiles and piracy.” The global south, the causes of which Modi has increasingly sought to champion, has a powerful advocate in him. The U.S. meanwhile, has made no secret of it seeing India as a partner in its bid to “counter” China.
According to Indian foreign minister Jaishankar, Modi is a leader with “networking, standing, and respect” that most governments are eager to engage with. However, India’s growing power also brings into sharper focus a fundamental question in the West: “How to square the strategic imperatives of partnership with an accelerating Indian illiberalism that fuels transnational repression—including some allegedly carried out on Western soil.” This concern is unlikely to hamper India’s deepening security ties with Washington—much to Pakistan’s chagrin. The neighboring rivals continue to have a hostile bilateral relationship, with little sign of improvement as India continues to grow economically even as Pakistan reckons with a never-ending malaise.