AS India navigates a critical phase in its ideological journey under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, its ambitious Hindutva-driven agenda raises questions about its future direction and impact on regional geopolitics. For Pakistan, tensions with India have simmered for decades, and pose a pivotal question regarding how to engage with its eastern neighbour.
Modi is riding a wave of popularity, thanks mainly to an effective foreign policy and impressive economic growth and development. However, much of this success is also owed to favourable geopolitics since the dawn of this century. After 9/11, India projected itself to the West as a fellow victim of terrorism. The bonhomie with the West found reinforcement when the US decided to pivot its focus towards Asia, choosing India as the preferred partner in its strategic competition with China. Thus, India started receiving substantial US investments to bolster its military and economic prowess. Meanwhile, the Indian economy has registered high growth rates since 1991, positioning the country to become the world’s fifth largest economy.