In the early years of independence, India chose to remain non-aligned with either of the super powers – USA and USSR –  engaged in a Cold War and fighting proxy wars in various regions of the world. This was a necessary precaution adopted by India from becoming a theater of conflict between the two powers. After the disintegration of USSR and as the world moved towards increased globalization, non-alignment does not serve any purpose. This was reflected in India’s foreign policy as India increasingly began to engage with various countries of the world politically and economically.

India established full diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992, signed a historic civil nuclear deal with USA in 2005 and sustained its strong ties with Russia over the years and renewed its engagement with Japan. The reasons for this shift are:

  1. Increased interdependence among the countries of the world, following globalization.
  2. Strategic and geo-political interests of the countries. Ex: Emerging threats in the Indo-Pacific, with Chinese assertion positioned India as a stabilizing influence in the region.
  3. India’s need for high-quality defense equipment.
  4. India’s growing energy and infrastructure needs.

The multi-alignment benefits India, as India would receive help and assistance from all quarters. For India to assert its importance as a regional and global player, India should engage in meaningful relationship with various powers. The significant benefit was the acknowledgement of India as a reliable and trustworthy nuclear power by Japan and U.S.A. This would help in persuading other nuclear establishments to support India in its nuclear energy aims.

Thus non-alignment policy which helped India grow as a stable nation should give way to multi-alignment, to strengthen India’s position as an important global player in the emerging multi-polar world.