INDIA’S G20 PRESIDENCY AND THE ROLE OF SOFT POWER

The end of the cold war brought tectonic changes in world politics. The world witnessed changes in its structure, actors as well as politics. With changing actors in world politics emerged new trends, fresh goals, advanced aspirations, and modernistic expectations. Besides the usual theoretical traditions common to International Relations, novel theories, and actors emerged that became impossible to ignore. The genesis of the concept of ‘soft power’ and institutions such as G20 is the upshot of this development. This period also marked the amazing emergence of developing countries such as India consolidating its capabilities and quietly asserting its ability to safeguard its core ‘national interests’. From being placed at the ‘receiving end’ now India is reinforcing its position of being at the ‘giving end’. India took up the G20 presidency in 2023, which is viewed as a critical juncture for furthering its goals and raising the nation’s profile internationally by holding the attention of countries that account for 85 percent of global GDP, 75 percent of international trade, and two-thirds of the world population. The theme of India’s G20 Presidency, “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “One Earth · One Family · One Future,” aims to drive transformative actions globally, leading to inclusive and equitable growth for all and a more sustainable future. The purpose of this paper is to answer two research questions. The first one is how India utilizes its presidency for furthering its soft power resource internationally through civilizational and cultural prisms, and the second will G20 presidency prove to be an opportunity for India to transform its image from “rule-taker to being a rule-maker” in the current geopolitical and economic complexities.