The emerging strategic landscape is increasingly defined by geopolitical contestation and competing ‘multi-alignment.’ As the global order continues to shift towards multipolarity, India is finding itself walking a tightrope. India’s urge to be part of diverse multilateral forums with diverging affiliations has come under severe strain.
India’s simultaneous engagement with the Western and non-Western platforms, such as the BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Quad, and I2U2 (India, Israel, U.S. and UAE), illustrates its ambition to ride different boats at the same time under the garb of so-called ‘strategic autonomy.’ However, simultaneous membership in these groupings is beginning to generate tensions. In addition to rising wariness towards India, these dynamics limit India’s diplomatic influence and ultimately erode New Delhi’s attempt to establish a strong foothold in two opposing camps.
