Soft Power of US and India | 03 Apr 2025

Source: TH 

Why in News? 

Recent policy shifts under the President Trump administration, driven by the "America First" agenda, have led to a decline in US soft power, diminishing its global influence and strategic standing. 

What is Soft Power? 

• Soft power was defined by political scientist Joseph Nye as the ability to shape the preferences of others through attraction and persuasion rather than hard power.  
  • It leverages culture, values, and diplomacy to influence global affairs. 
• Hard power refers to a nation’s ability to influence others through coercion, including military force, economic sanctions, and other forms of pressure.  
  • A successful state balances hard and soft power, coercion for immediate goals and influence to shape their long-term attitudes and preferences.  
  • Eg: The US employs hard power in military interventions and soft power through diplomacy and cultural outreach. China blends both, using military assertiveness and initiatives like BRI to expand influence. 

What are the Reasons for the Declining Soft Power of the USA? 

• Weakening Alliances: Unilateral actions in global conflicts (e.g. Russia-Ukraine), criticism of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and AUKUS, and shifting policies on allies like Japan and Canada have strained trust.  
  • The US's unconditional support for Israel in the Gaza conflict has strained ties with the Global South and West Asia.  
    • E.g. South Africa has sued Israel at the ICJ over alleged genocide. 
• Declining Humanitarian Engagement: Massive funding cuts to USAID (down to 17% of programs) and the closure of institutions like the US Institute of Peace and Voice of America have reduced US influence in diplomacy and development. 
  • The US’s rejection of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies casts doubt on its global advocacy for democracy, equal representation, and religious freedom. 
• Unstable Trade and Immigration Policies: The US shift to protectionism, including "reciprocal tariffs," risks economic credibility and trade ties with Canada, Mexico, Australia, and India.  
  • A similar move, the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Tariffs, worsened the US economy during the Great Depression. 
  • Mass deportations, curbs on legal migration, tighter scrutiny on H-1B and Green Card holders, and a ban on birthright citizenship weaken America’s image as a land of opportunity and diversity. 
• Declining Higher Education Appeal: Crackdowns on student protests, deportations of foreign students, and funding cuts for universities are reducing international enrollments, weakening a major pillar of US soft power. 

What are the Key Elements of India's Soft Power? 

• Cultural Influence: Yoga, Ayurveda, Bollywood, Indian cuisine, and spiritual traditions like Hinduism and Buddhism enhance India's global appeal. 
• Historical & Diaspora Connections:  India shares strong cultural ties especially with Asia and Africa; a 35 million-strong global Indian diaspora strengthens business, politics, and cultural influence. 
• Democracy & Global Leadership: India’s democratic model inspires developing nations. Gandhian ideals of non-violence influenced global leaders like Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr.  
  • India has led the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and advocates for the Global South in international forums. 
• Economic & Technological Growth: As a global leader in IT, digital payments (like UPI and Aadhaar), and pharmaceuticals, India played a key role during the Covid-19 pandemic by providing vaccines and medicines through vaccine diplomacy. 
• Education & Knowledge Exchange: India attracts students from across the world to its top institutions like IITs and IIMs.  
  • Through scholarships and training programs like ITEC, India helps many developing nations build skills and knowledge. 
• India’s Humanitarian Aid: India provides global disaster relief and financial aid, including Operation Brahma (2025 Myanmar-Thailand earthquake) and financial assistance to Sri Lanka.  
  • It supports CDRI and aids infrastructure and capacity-building in developing nations. 
• Multilateral Diplomacy: India plays an active role in the UN, WHO, BRICS, and G20, India promotes multilateral solutions over unilateral actions in global affairs. 

What are the Challenges to India’s Soft Power Diplomacy? 

• Institutional Gaps: As per the Committee on External Affairs Report (2022-23), India’s soft power efforts remain fragmented due to poor coordination among institutions like ICCR, AYUSH, and Tourism. The ICCR lacks a clear mandate and strategic direction, while the MEA has yet to assess India's soft power assets comprehensively. 
• Limited Multilateral Diplomacy: India has yet to fully leverage multilateral platforms like UNESCO, BRICS, SAARC, and G20 for advancing its soft power diplomacy. 
  • Also, limited engagement in Track 2 (non-governmental) and Track 3 (people-to-people) diplomacy has restricted its global influence. 
• Limited Financial Resources: Unlike countries such as China and the US, India allocates minimal funding for soft power initiatives.  
  • This financial constraint limits India's ability to expand its cultural and diplomatic outreach globally. 
• Lack of Formal Study: India’s approach to soft power remains sporadic, as it lacks a formal study on global best practices.  
  • While countries like China (Confucius Institutes), the UK (British Council), and France (Alliance Française) have systematically promoted their culture and languages, India has yet to adopt a structured model for cultural diplomacy. 
• Underutilized Diaspora: Despite having one of the world's largest diasporas, India lacks a structured mechanism to effectively engage overseas Indians in shaping international perceptions.  
  • While Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and diaspora awards exist, more needs to be done to integrate them into foreign policy. 
• Passive Approach to Public Diplomacy: While India enjoys natural soft power appeal through its culture, it has not proactively translated these assets into strategic influence.  
  • Unlike China, which actively invests in global media and education, India has yet to fully capitalize on its cultural and diplomatic strengths. 

Way Forward 

• Comprehensive Policy on Soft Power: India must develop a structured national strategy for cultural diplomacy and formally integrate Track 2 and Track 3 diplomacy into its foreign policy to enhance global outreach. 
• Restructuring Institutions: India should restructure ICCR (Veena Sikri Committee), enhance cultural diplomacy via PPPs, expand global media presence (e.g., Doordarshan International), and improve coordination among ICCR, Embassies, and MEA.  
  • A dedicated cultural diplomacy task force should be created to promote yoga, Ayurveda, Hindi, classical dance, and cuisine globally. 
• Leveraging Multilateral Platforms: India should enhance participation in UNESCO projects, expand cultural centers abroad, utilize global summits for cultural diplomacy, and strengthen bilateral cultural agreements to deepen international partnerships. 
• Learning from International Best Practices: India should conduct a formal study of global soft power strategies and adopt successful models similar to China, UK, France, and Japan’s programs to strengthen cultural diplomacy. 
• Diaspora & Educational Diplomacy: Establish a structured framework to involve the Indian diaspora in advocacy, business, and policymaking while expanding scholarships under ITEC and Study in India programs to attract global students. 

Conclusion 

The decline of US soft power underscores the need for a balance between military strength and cultural influence. India can leverage ‘Smart Power’ a strategic blend of soft and hard power to enhance its global standing by strengthening cultural diplomacy and strategic partnerships in a multipolar world.