Introduction

“A year of dissipating promises for Indian foreign policy” assesses how 2025, once projected as a year of strategic consolidation and diplomatic gains, instead exposed the limits of India’s foreign policy delivery. While India retained diplomatic visibility and narrative influence, the article argues that outcomes on trade, energy security, neighbourhood stability, and global positioning fell short of earlier expectations, revealing a widening gap between ambition and execution.

Key Issues

1. Gap Between Diplomatic Outreach and Outcomes
• High-profile summits did not translate into binding agreements.
• Example: Stalled India-EU and India-UK trade negotiations.
2. Energy Security Vulnerabilities
• West Asia instability exposed India’s dependence on imported hydrocarbons.
• Example: Red Sea disruptions and Iran-Israel tensions affecting supply routes.
3. Unresolved Neighbourhood Fragilities
• Persistent instability in South Asia undermined regional leadership.
• Example: Political churn in Bangladesh and Pakistan, economic fragility in Sri Lanka.
4. Limits of Strategic Autonomy
• Non-alignment avoided costs but delivered limited strategic dividends.
• Example: Balancing the US-Russia equation without extracting concrete concessions.
5. Economic Diplomacy Underperformance
• India’s trade diplomacy lagged behind geopolitical activism.
• Example: Export slowdown despite global diversification rhetoric.

Key Facts from the Article

• 2025 began with expectations of trade breakthroughs, energy security gains, and regional stability.
• No major Free Trade Agreement (FTA) concluded with the EU, UK, or key Indo-Pacific partners.
• India faced continued regional instability in South Asia (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan).
• Energy security remained vulnerable amid West Asia tensions and global supply disruptions.
• India avoided entanglement in great-power conflicts but struggled to convert neutrality into leverage.

Lesson: Credible foreign policy rests on economic delivery, not narrative alone.

Indian Committees / Policy References

Kothari Committee (Foreign Policy Studies)	Emphasised coherence between domestic capacity and diplomacy.
Integrated Defence Staff Doctrine	Linked diplomacy with deterrence.
NITI Aayog on Economic Diplomacy	Trade must support strategic goals.
MEA’s Multi-Alignment Framework	Avoids bloc politics but needs outcome-orientation.

Way Forward

1. Re-anchor foreign policy in economic delivery, especially trade and investment.
2. Prioritise neighbourhood stability through sustained economic assistance, not episodic engagement.
3. Convert strategic neutrality into bargaining leverage with major powers.
4. Strengthen energy diplomacy via long-term contracts and diversification.
5. Align domestic reforms with external ambitions, especially manufacturing and exports.
6. Move from summit diplomacy to implementation diplomacy, with measurable outcomes.

Conclusion

India’s foreign policy in 2025 preserved autonomy and avoided strategic missteps, but restraint without results risks erosion of credibility. For a rising power, diplomacy must deliver material gains alongside moral positioning. The challenge ahead is not choosing sides, but converting global engagement into tangible national strength.

Prelims MCQ

Q1. With reference to India’s foreign policy, consider the following statements:

1. Strategic autonomy implies complete non-alignment from major powers.

2. Energy security is a core component of India’s foreign policy.

3. Economic diplomacy strengthens geopolitical influence.

4. Neighbourhood stability has no impact on India’s global standing.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 2 and 3 only

b) 1 and 3 only

c) 1 and 2 only

d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: A) 2 and 3 only

UPSC Mains Practice Question

Q1. “India’s foreign policy today reflects strong intent but uneven outcomes.”

Critically examine this statement in the context of India’s diplomatic performance in recent years. (250 words)