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‘Non-alignment to Multi-alignment: Continuity and Changes in India's Strategic Autonomy’

The metamorphosis of India's foreign policy from a reactive, inward-looking posture of non-alignment to a proactive, multi-vector policy of multi-alignment signifies a practical evolution from a moral, ideological stance to a multi-faceted, interest-driven strategy intended for a multipolar world. While the fundamental objective of preserving independent decision-making remains constant, the methods have shifted from avoiding alliances to actively managing a diverse web of strategic partnerships. It reflects a dynamic interplay between enduring traditions and adaptive transformations shaped by globalization, technological shifts, and growing new power structures. The core pillars of this position that remain resilient are strategic autonomy, peaceful coexistence, and developmental priorities, yet these are now pursued through a continuity and change framework that prioritizes issue-based alignments, rather than ideology-based bloc politics. For this, India has involved new diplomatic tools, such as public diplomacy, engaging the diaspora, and enhancing regional engagement to project itself as a responsible global actor and an emerging power. This lecture will clarify ‘strategic autonomy’ particularly in the Indian context and highlight the changing patterns in Indian foreign policy since its independence in 1947.

Speaker Bio

Dr. Vimal Pandey is the Indian Council Chair of Indian Studies, Hari and Madhu Varshney Visiting Scholar, for Spring 2026 at SFU’s School for International Studies. Dr. Pandey is an assistant professor of Political Science at Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, with research and teaching foci on India in global affairs.