India’s New Geopolitics: New Delhi is projecting its power in new ways.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greet each other at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 27, 2018.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greet each other at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 27, 2018.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greet each other at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 27, 2018. GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/POOL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
JULY 16, 2023
“Washington is overlooking one of the most interesting geopolitical developments in the region in years: the emergence of India as a major player in the Middle East,” FP’s Steven A. Cook wrote last month.

It’s not just the Middle East. Around the world, New Delhi is projecting its power in new ways as it forms alliances, seals trade deals, and ramps up defense cooperation, reshaping the global order in the process. This edition of Flash Points explores India’s new geopolitics—and what it means for the international balance of power.—Chloe Hadavas

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi embrace during a ceremonial reception at the presidential palace in New Delhi.Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi embrace during a ceremonial reception at the presidential palace in New Delhi.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi embrace during a ceremonial reception at the presidential palace in New Delhi on Feb. 20, 2019. PRAKASH SINGH/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

India Has Become a Middle Eastern Power

It’s time to take New Delhi’s projection of power in the region seriously, FP’s Steven A. Cook writes.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden greet other world leaders at the G-20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden greet other world leaders at the G-20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden greet other world leaders at the G-20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, on Nov. 15, 2022. LEON NEAL/GETTY IMAGES

It’s Time to Tie India to the West

India’s geopolitical shift is inexorable, and membership in the G-7 would help bridge north-south divides, FP’s C. Raja Mohan writes.

A Likud Party election banner hanging from a building shows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shaking hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a caption above reading in Hebrew "Netanyahu, in another league", in Tel Aviv on July 28, 2019.A Likud Party election banner hanging from a building shows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shaking hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a caption above reading in Hebrew “Netanyahu, in another league”, in Tel Aviv on July 28, 2019.

A Likud Party election banner hanging from a building shows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shaking hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a caption above reading in Hebrew “Netanyahu, in another league”, in Tel Aviv on July 28, 2019. JACK GUEZ/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

How Modi and Bibi Built a Military Alliance

India and Israel have strengthened their defense ties in recent years—but a new book makes the relationship sound more sinister than it is, FP’s Sumit Ganguly writes.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna meets with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (L) and Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar (C) during a trilateral ministerial meeting in New York.French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna meets with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (L) and Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar (C) during a trilateral ministerial meeting in New York.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna meets with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (L) and Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar (C) during a trilateral ministerial meeting in New York on Sept. 19, 2022.ANGELA WEISS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

The Minilateral Era

Middle powers from India to Israel are pursuing small, issue-based partnerships outside the confines of formal institutions, Husain Haqqani and Narayanappa Janardhan write.

A sailor walks on the deck of an Indian Navy submarine at a naval base in Mumbai.A sailor walks on the deck of an Indian Navy submarine at a naval base in Mumbai.

A sailor walks on the deck of an Indian Navy Scorpene-class submarine during its commissioning at a naval base in Mumbai on March 10, 2021. PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES