– By Vunguturi Nagalakshmi
– Intern IPPCS’21
In recent years India’s leaders have increasingly focused on its diaspora, multicultural ethos, and ancient practices like yoga, through official campaigns and foreign visits. Since Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, there has been increased activism to draw attention to and employ India’s soft power. The evolution of India as a soft power since its emergence as an independent country has been growing and glowing. Soft power has shaped India’s foreign policy and behaviour. India’s soft power assets are not of recent origin, but there is increasing activism to use those assets effectively. It demonstrates that though soft power resources, including culture, are not new, India’s political class’s increasing awareness and activism to use those resources to realize foreign policy goals is recent. The focus on soft power, particularly cultural diplomacy and its use in foreign policy, have become increasingly visible in recent years.
Soft power, the ability to achieve objectives through attraction, not coercion or payments, is an increasingly important aspect of foreign policy. With the ability to shape a broader narrative in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, soft power remains a vital instrument in foreign policy by itself or complement the application of hard power, that is, military power or other types of effective diplomacy. Constituting a broad spectrum, its key components range from economic to socio-cultural and, even, civilization; messaging, its veritable core, is done through strategic communication in official dialogues and utilizing a more comprehensive targeted public outreach using diverse media platforms available in our age of information saturation.
Cultural diplomacy is forward-thinking and dynamic, bringing together the public and commercial sectors for mutual benefit. For example, traders, religious teachers, and explorers were considered informal ambassadors or cultural diplomats of their respective regions in ancient times, which witnessed its success and integration of various sectors. Similarly, in current times, cultural diplomacy is carried out through various cultural exchanges, delegations, and sports to promote intercultural and interfaith understanding and thereby socioeconomic healing.
It is a common belief in India that the country is the birthplace of the human race and that the Vedas and the Upanishads, the oldest scriptures in the world, were written here. The region of India, known as the “Bharat” or “Land of the Rishis” or “Land of the Vedas”, is considered the cradle of civilization. The most ancient civilization in the Indian subcontinent, India’s culture is the most critical source of its soft power. It has fascinated outsiders since at least Alexander the Great, bringing to India invading armies, travellers, merchants, migrants and religious refugees fleeing persecution in other places. India is also the birthplace of Buddhism, which spread to Central, East and Southeast Asia, and Sikhism, Jainism, which left their strong imprints on Southeast Asian culture. India’s classical music, art and dance, culture and traditions, Ayurveda, Yoga, philosophy, spirituality, and even cuisine and fashion find more followers worldwide. The country’s ancient culture has been preserved in its villages, towns and cities, with citizens living in harmony with the land and each other.
Its pluralism and multiculturalism have been praised by many as a source of strength and unity. Some of the most visible manifestations of Indian soft power are the world community’s embrace of Namaste as a greeting during the continuing pandemic. Indian food, whether in the form of turmeric latte sold in cafés, jackfruits used in gourmet recipes, or Australian Prime Minister Scott Morison’s exhibition of Samosa diplomacy, is another famous cultural export.
The country has a large, peaceful community of ethnic groups, which has helped it maintain homogenous culture and identity. It is a vibrant and fast-growing economy whose prime objective is to achieve the highest possible level of economic growth. It is an essential contributor to global peace and stability, and it has been an active partner in multilateral efforts to promote international cooperation, development, and trade. India has been a leading nation in the international community for promoting human rights and democracy. India is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society. Its pluralistic and tolerant heritage has enabled it to overcome the challenges of its turbulent history and emerge as a leading nation in the world. It had been a significant contributor to global peace and stability. Its societal and cultural diversity has helped it to combat extremism and terrorism. India is a vibrant, growing economy.
India has only recently begun to use its soft power cards more strategically in the last decade or so. Apart from establishing a public diplomacy division within the Ministry of External Affairs in 2006 and expanding the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) globally, it has enlisted the Ministry of Tourism, which is behind the “Incredible India” campaign, and the Ministry for Overseas Indians “to showcase its social, political, and cultural assets abroad,” according to Rohan Mukherjee, a research scholar at the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
According to Prabir De, chair of the India-ASEAN Centre at the think tank RIS, India’s soft power in ASEAN is unrivalled, which is run by the external affairs ministry. “Contrary to widespread assumption, India’s and Southeast Asia’s younger generations are communicating more through cultural spaces such as music, arts, games, and education. The most positive impact of social media has been on cultural bonds. According to an official, the three Cs — commerce, connectivity, and culture – are at the heart of India’s Act East programme.
It is critical to establish a healthy cultural creative economy that provides more and more chances for creative entrepreneurs to take Indian culture around the world to realize and maximize the potential of such traditions and practices. This can lead to cross-cultural collaboration and reciprocal learning among cultural experts, entrepreneurs, and enthusiasts worldwide.
onducted a total of five underground nuclear tests, breaking a 24-year self-imposed moratorium on nuclear testing. Pakistan followed, claiming 5 tests on May 28, 1998, and an additional test on May 30. The unannounced tests created a global storm of criticism, as well as a serious setback for decades of U.S. nuclear nonproliferation efforts in South Asia. On May 13, 1998, President Clinton imposed economic and military sanctions on India, mandated by Section 102 of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), and applied the same sanctions to Pakistan on May 30. Some effects of the sanctions on India included: termination of $21 million in FY1998 economic development assistance; postponement of $1.7 billion in lending by the International Financial Institutions (IFI), as supported by the Group of Eight (G-8) leading industrial nations; prohibition on loans or credit from U.S. banks to the government of India; and termination of Foreign Military Sales under the Arms Export Control Act. Humanitarian assistance, food, or other agricultural commodities are excepted from sanctions under the law. 
The first ministerial level meeting of QUAD was held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Before this, the QUAD had
AusIndEx is an exercise between India and Australia which was first held in 2015.The Australian 
On recommendations of the Japanese government, the four countries met at Manila, Philippines for ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) originally, but also ended up having a meeting of what we call the first meeting of four nation states on issues of 
On his official visit to India, Japanese PM Mr. Shinzo Abe reinforced the ties of two nations, i.e., Japan and India with his famous speech about 
In 2007, Japanese President Shinzo Abe resigned from his post citing health reasons. This had a significant impact on QUAD as he was the architect & advocate of QUAD. His successor, Yasuo Fukuda, did not take up QUAD with such zeal leading to dormancy of the forum. (
Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011, also called Great Sendai Earthquake or Great Tōhoku Earthquake, was a 9.0 magnitude earthquake which struck below the floor of the Western Pacific at 2:49 PM. The powerful earthquake affected the northeastern coast of Honshu, Japan’s main island, and also initiated a series of large tsunami waves that devastated coastal areas of Japan, which also led to a major nuclear accident. Japan received aid from India, US, Australia as well as other countries. US Navy aircraft carrier was dispatched to the area and Australia sent search-and-rescue teams. 
India and Australia signed the 
The India-Japan Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy was signed on 11 November, 2016 and came into force on 20 July, 2017 which was representative of strengthening ties between India and Japan. Diplomatic notes were exchanged between Dr. S. Jaishankar and H.E. Mr. Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador of Japan to India. (
The foreign ministry
The Officials of QUAD member countries met in Singapore on November 15, 2018 for consultation on regional & global issues of common interest. The main discussion revolved around connectivity, sustainable development, counter-terrorism, maritime and cyber security, with the view to promote peace, stability and prosperity in the 
The 23rd edition of trilateral Malabar maritime exercise between India, US and Japan took place on 26 September- 04 October, 2019 off the coast of Japan. 
After the first ministerial level meeting of QUAD in September, 2019, the senior officials of US, Japan, India and Australia again met for consultations in Bangkok on the margins of the East Asia Summit. Statements were issued separately by the four countries. Indian Ministry of External Affairs said “In statements issued separately by the four countries, MEA said, “proceeding from the strategic guidance of their Ministers, who met in New York City on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly recently, the officials exchanged views on ongoing and additional practical cooperation in the areas of connectivity and infrastructure development, and security matters, including counterterrorism, cyber and maritime security, with a view to promoting peace, security, stability, prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.”
US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue was held on 18 December, 2019, in Washington DC. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper will host Indian Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar and Minister of Defense Shri Rajnath Singh. The discussion focussed on deepening bilateral strategic and defense cooperation, exchanging perspectives on global developments, and our shared leadership in the Indo-Pacific region.The two democracies signed the Industrial Security Annex before the 2+2 Dialogue. Assessments of the situation in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Indian Ocean region in general were shared between both countries. (
The foreign ministers of QUAD continued their discussions from the last ministerial level meeting in 2019, on 6 October, 2020. While there was no joint statement released, all countries issued individual readouts. As per the issue readout by India, the discussion called for a coordinated response to the challenges including financial problems emanating from the pandemic, best practices to combat Covid-19, increasing the resilience of supply chains, and enhancing access to affordable vaccines, medicines and medical equipment. There was also a focus on maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific region amidst growing tensions. Australian media release mentions “We emphasised that, especially during a pandemic, it was vital that states work to ease tensions and avoid exacerbating long-standing disputes, work to counter disinformation, and refrain from malicious cyberspace activity. Ministers reiterated that states cannot assert maritime claims that are inconsistent with international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).”
On September 24, President Biden hosted Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan at the White House for the first-ever in-person Leaders’ Summit of the QUAD. The leaders released a Joint Statement which summarised their dialogue and future course of action. The regional security of the Indo-Pacific and strong confidence in the ASEAN remained on the focus along with response to the Pandemic. 
The QUAD Vaccine Partnership was announced at the first QUAD Summit on 12 March 2021 where QUAD countries agreed to deliver 1.2 billion vaccine doses globally. The aim was to expand and finance vaccine manufacturing and equipping the Indo-Pacific to build resilience against Covid-19. The launch of a senior-level QUAD Vaccine Experts Group, comprised of top scientists and officials from all QUAD member governments was also spearheaded. 
Although the Tsunami Core group had to be disbanded on fulfilment of its purpose, however the quadrilateral template that formed remained intact as a successful scaffolding of four countries, as stated by authors Patrick Gerard Buchan and Benjamin Rimland in their diplomatic brief about QUAD ( you can access the brief at 
Secretary of State Colin Powell stated that the Core Tsunami Group was to be disbanded and folded and clubbed with the broader United Nations led Relief Operations. In a Tsunami Relief Conference in Jakarta, Secretary Powell stated that 
Soon after the Earthquake and Tsunami crisis, humanitarian reliefs by countries, viz., US, India, Japan, and Australia started to help the 13 havoc-stricken countries. The US initially promised $ 35 Millions in aid. However, on 29
At 7:59AM local time, an earthquake of 9.1 magnitude (undersea) hit the coast of Sumatra, an Indonesian island. As a result of the same, massive waves of Tsunami triggered by the earthquake wreaked havoc for 7 hours across the Indian Ocean and to the coastal areas as far away as East Africa. The infamous Tsunami killed around 225,000 people, with people reporting the height of waves to be as high as 9 metres, i.e., 30 feet. Indonesia, Srilanka, India, Maldives, Thailand sustained horrendously massive damage, with the death toll exceeding 200,000 in Northern Sumatra’s Ache province alone. A great many people, i.e., around tens of thousands were found dead or missing in Srilanka and India, mostly from Andaman and Nicobar Islands of Indian territory. Maldives, being a low-lying country, also reported casualties in hundreds and more, with several non-Asian tourists reported dead or missing who were vacationing. Lack of food, water, medicines burgeoned the numbers of casualties, with the relief workers finding it difficult to reach the remotest areas where roads were destroyed or civil war raged. Long-term environmental damage ensued too, as both natural and man-made resources got demolished and diminished.
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