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Diplomacy and Image-Building: India Rides on Its Soft Power

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Diplomacy and Image-Building: India Rides on Its Soft Power NOVEMBER 2016 ISSUE NO. 163 Diplomacy and Image-Building: India Rides on its Soft Power STÉPHANIE M.-L. HENG ABSTRACT India has projected its soft power for centuries, long before the concept was even defined by political analysts. In the past decade, the country wielded its soft power in a more systematic way in the practice of diplomacy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in power since 2014, is becoming known for his passionate use of India's soft- power assets through both an effective media management strategy and an intelligent use of social media. This Brief finds that while these efforts have helped improve India's image before the international community, the effect in terms of stronger relations with other countries has remained rather limited. INTRODUCTION India's soft power is strong—and it has been so, diplomacy division within the Ministry of long before such a concept was made famous by External Affairs, the worldwide expansion of American political scientist Joseph Nye in 1990. the Indian Council for Cultural Relations For centuries, India's soft power was already (ICCR), the Ministry of Tourism's 'Incredible being recognised in many parts of the world, India' campaign, and the work of the Ministry where people learned about, and accessed the for Overseas Indians. These efforts have not arts and culture of one of the world's oldest only helped emphasise the social and cultural civilisations. It is in the past decade that India assets of India abroad, but they also support the has increased its use of soft power in a more country's major foreign-policy initiatives such systematic way (Ramachandran, 2015). Several as its strategic aid and trade partnerships in initiatives have been launched to push India to Africa (Ramachandran, 2015). After all, the the forefront of the international community, promotion of business and trade, together with including the creation in 2006 of a public the creation of employment opportunities, are Observer Research Foundation (ORF) is a public policy think-tank that aims to influence the formulation of policies for building a strong and prosperous India. ORF pursues these goals by providing informed and productive inputs, in-depth research, and stimulating discussions. The Foundation is supported in its mission by a cross-section of India’s leading public figures, as well as academic and business leaders. Diplomacy and Image-Building: India Rides on its Soft Power key components of Prime Minister Narendra country in foreign shores. Such is true for India Modi's diplomacy efforts. as well. As far as diplomacy efforts are concerned, Prime Minister Modi has met To be sure, soft-power diplomacy is not the several foreign leaders in the past two years only tool in the government's arsenal for (Fontaine, 2016). These meetings have helped improving the country's image. Other serious increase India's visibility abroad. According to campaigns—for instance, to combat corruption Naman Jain, “Prime Minister Modi's and crime—are also enhancing the outsider's charismatic interaction with world leaders, in view of what India is, and what it can be as a comparison to India's neighbours, is far more leader in global politics (Ashwini, 2016). reported on by international media. This Effective media management and an intelligent represents a strategic advantage in the soft use of social media are among the elements of power for India in the region.” He also believes PM Modi's strategy. that the “personal relationships that Mr. Modi has made and maintained with world leaders SOFT POWER: AN INSTRUMENT OF have not only strengthened ties between India PUBLIC DIPLOMACY and other countries, but have also raised India's image and profile in the media, elevating Indian 'Soft power' refers to the ability to persuade soft power.” others to do something using neither force nor coercion (Nye, 1990). While conventional, hard A September 2015 conference on “The Main power relies on the State's military and Forms of Soft Power: India and the World”, economic resources, soft power works on organised by the Indian Institute of Advanced persuasion, aiming at furthering a country's Study, Shimla, in collaboration with ICCR, 'attractiveness'. It is based on three main discussed Nye's perception of soft power and categories of a country's resources —culture, the case of India. Regarding soft power, some of political values, and foreign policies (Nye, the assumptions at stake are as follows—soft 2004). Soft power is “mostly based on power is cultural power; economic strength is intangibles such as the power of example. It is soft power; soft power is more human than hard therefore the ability to modify other states' power; hard power can be measured while soft preferences because of their perception of you” power cannot; and soft power is difficult to use. (Blarel, 2012: 28). Today, most countries use a Analysts say soft power has the potential “to combination of soft power and hard power, multiply the efforts of Indian diplomacy, and in together called 'smart power'. Since Modi this regard should be pursued as an important became prime minister in May 2014, India has objective” (Mukherjee, 2014: 56). Prime employed such a blend, but with a strong focus Minister Modi's plans are to revive national on soft power. pride in the country's ancient values while enhancing the country's hard power by using its Indeed, soft power has become a main soft-power assets (Pant, 2015). However, instrument in public diplomacy. “It is just as “public diplomacy cannot achieve its aim if it is important to set the agenda and structure the inconsistent with a country's foreign policy” situations in world politics as to get others to (Melissen, 2015: 14). change in particular cases” (Nye, 1990: 166). Soft-power initiatives complement official The promotion of the country's soft power is diplomacy efforts, ultimately aimed at a means to meet foreign policy objectives. increasing knowledge and appreciation of the “The outcome of the 2014 general election 2 ORF ISSUE BRIEF No. 163 l NOVEMBER 2016 Diplomacy and Image-Building: India Rides on its Soft Power marked a significant shift in the conduct of tapping into the Indian diaspora community in Indian foreign policy. The rise of Prime Minister order to project soft power around the world” Narendra Modi, a charismatic and populist (Jain, 2016). Since Indians from this leader, has redefined Indian foreign policy community usually have strong stakes in through the use of soft power in a regional and societies abroad, PM Modi organises events for global context” (Jain, 2016). The promotion of the diaspora in various cities in the world (for India's soft power (in the form, for example, of example, in Brussels or Dubai) to deliver strong Bollywood films and yoga) is aimed at meeting messages. Embracing over 25 million Indians, the country's foreign policy objectives and the diaspora could become “a core component of showing its willingness to play a bigger role in foreign policy initiatives” and “a vehicle of global politics. It will help propel India to a India's soft power” (Singh, 2015). position of “an emerging country with the However, current outreach efforts to the potential of becoming a huge economic success Indian diaspora are insufficient and the country story” (Pant, 2015). India's soft power is should make greater use of diaspora bonds than important; it is nothing less than a geopolitical it has ever done so before. For instance, “well- tool. structured diaspora bonds would directly While previous Indian governments finance key development priorities. And that understood and recognised the value of soft would give everyone in the diaspora, not just its power to further India's foreign policy goals, entrepreneurs and its financiers, the attempts have been largely ad hoc (Pant, 2015). opportunity to translate their long-distance Pant notes that for the first time, a more patriotism into tangible economic gain and coherent effort is underway to raise India's share in India's growth story, as Modi often image and brand value in foreign countries. encourages them to do” (Subramanya, 2015). “Under Prime Minister Modi, India is taking a Various analysts have observed that the strategic approach towards using its soft-power success of Prime Minister Modi's strategy relies resources to enhance the nation's image abroad.” especially on his charisma, a powerful use of the Yet the question remains: How efficient is soft media (social media in particular), an effective power? Scholars remain divided about the nature media management strategy, and the capacity of power. J. Nye's soft power concept is one of the to avoid the mistakes made by past most popular concepts in that respect, building it governments. Managing the media allows for as a behaviour outcome (Trunkos, 2013). better management of public perception. The Prime Minister relies on relationships, and the MODI'S COMMUNICATIONS AND Indian business community—which supports BRANDING SKILLS Mr Modi—has heavily invested in the Indian media. Prime Minister Modi is seen as an excellent communicator (Venkatesh, 2015), not only in At the same time, Prime Minister Modi's the use of technology but also in his personal communications strategy has met with style (Farcis, 2016). A key element in this criticisms, too. According to the 2015 Freedom communication strategy is his speeches House's press freedom report on India,1 for (Mukhopadhyay, 2016). This is also the case example, there are journalists who complained when he addresses the Indian diaspora: “Prime in 2014 that the government relies heavily on a Minister Modi has focused specifically on “one-way format—such as social media posts ORF ISSUE BRIEF No. 163 l NOVEMBER 2016 3 Diplomacy and Image-Building: India Rides on its Soft Power and the prime minister's monthly radio—to communication strategy, strongly based on the communicate with the public, instead of use of social media, would soon prove to be granting access to the press.” The government is successful.
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