India’s foreign policy, critics argue, has fallen short of expectations, with lofty promises undermined by limited economic, military, and diplomatic influence
MM Report
NEW DEHLI: The year 2025 has proved to be the most challenging period of the century for India, marked by foreign policy failures, strategic miscalculations and diminishing diplomatic influence, according to an assessment published by the Indian newspaper The Hindu.
In a year-end analysis, the newspaper said India’s foreign policy fell short of expectations, with promises unfulfilled and ambitions constrained by a lack of real economic, military and diplomatic leverage. It argued that symbolic diplomacy, personal relationships and narrative-building could not substitute for tangible power or sustained influence.
The Hindu noted that India made commitments to both itself and its partners that it was ultimately unable to honor, describing 2025 as a year in which the gap between rhetoric and capacity became increasingly visible. The paper said the cumulative impact of these shortcomings had made the year the most difficult for India in decades.
According to the report, India faced a series of external pressures, including the imposition of a 25% tariff regime, tighter restrictions on Russian oil imports and curbs on H-1B visas. It also observed that, compared with 2017, India’s role in the 2025 US National Security Strategy had been significantly reduced, reflecting a narrowing of strategic expectations in Washington.
Despite multiple high-level engagements with China and Russia, the paper said there had been no meaningful security progress along the Line of Actual Control. It added that US pressure had forced India to soften its position on Russian oil, exposing the limits of its strategic autonomy.
The Hindu described the Pahalgam incident as a “serious security failure”, characterizing it as a false-flag operation that highlighted deep flaws in India’s internal security framework. The paper acknowledged that India’s subsequent military actions failed to attract broad international diplomatic support.
It also noted that official silence over aircraft losses following Indian military operations had damaged the country’s credibility. The announcement of a mutual defence agreement between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan was described as an additional setback for New Delhi.
