India: Capable but Constrained

{
  "authors": [
    "Ashley J. Tellis"
  ],
  "type": "other",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "",
  "programs": [
    "South Asia"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "South Asia",
    "India"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Security",
    "Military"
  ]
}

Other

India: Capable but Constrained

The Indian Armed Forces are large and competent, but they face significant internal security challenges as well as major external dangers from China and Pakistan.

By Ashley J. Tellis

Published on Oct 30, 2020

Source: United States Army War College Press

Key Points

The Indian Armed Forces are large and competent, but they face significant internal security challenges as well as major external dangers from China and Pakistan.
An underperforming economy has constrained military budgets and largely confined the Indian military to ensuring internal security and protecting the country’s frontiers.
Indian policy makers have expressed an interest in the country playing a more significant role in the wider Indo-Pacific region, but they still eschew the kind of strategic partnerships that would make enhanced power projection possible.

Read Full Text

This chapter was originally published in A Hard Look at Hard Power: Assessing the Defense Capabilities of Key US Allies and Security Partners—Second Edition, by the United States Army War College Press.

Security Military South Asia India

Carnegie India does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie India

Commentary
AI Adoption Journey for Population Scale
Connecting real-world AI use cases across sectors such as health, education, agriculture, and livelihoods can help policymakers, innovators, and institutions align around a shared goal. This article looks at a framework ensuring that AI works for everyone.
Shalini Kapoor, Tanvi Lall
Commentary
The Impact of U.S. Sanctions and Tariffs on India’s Russian Oil Imports
This piece examines India’s response to U.S. sanctions and tariffs, specifically assessing the immediate market consequences, such as alterations in import costs, and the broader strategic implications for India’s energy security and foreign policy orientation.
Vrinda Sahai
Article
Revisiting the Usage of Refurbished Equipment in India’s Semiconductor Ecosystem
This article looks at the progress of the Semiconductor Laboratory fab modernization plan based on publicly available documents, and potential learnings for future upgrades to government-owned fabs and India’s larger semiconductor ecosystem, especially regarding the use of refurbished equipment.
Shruti Mittal, Konark Bhandari
Article
Military Lessons from Operation Sindoor
The India-Pakistan conflict that played out between May 6 and May 10, 2025, offers several military lessons. This article presents key takeaways from Operation Sindoor and breaks down how India’s preparations shaped the outcome and what more is needed to strengthen future readiness.
Dinakar Peri
Book
India and the Sovereignty Principle: The Disaggregation Imperative
This book offers a comprehensive analysis of India's evolving relationship with sovereignty in a complex global order. Moving beyond conventional narratives, it examines how the sovereignty principle shapes India's behavior across four critical domains—from traditional military power to contemporary data governance.
Rudra Chaudhuri, Nabarun Roy

More Work from Carnegie India

Commentary

AI Adoption Journey for Population Scale

Connecting real-world AI use cases across sectors such as health, education, agriculture, and livelihoods can help policymakers, innovators, and institutions align around a shared goal. This article looks at a framework ensuring that AI works for everyone.

Shalini Kapoor, Tanvi Lall

Commentary

The Impact of U.S. Sanctions and Tariffs on India’s Russian Oil Imports

This piece examines India’s response to U.S. sanctions and tariffs, specifically assessing the immediate market consequences, such as alterations in import costs, and the broader strategic implications for India’s energy security and foreign policy orientation.

Vrinda Sahai

Article

Revisiting the Usage of Refurbished Equipment in India’s Semiconductor Ecosystem

This article looks at the progress of the Semiconductor Laboratory fab modernization plan based on publicly available documents, and potential learnings for future upgrades to government-owned fabs and India’s larger semiconductor ecosystem, especially regarding the use of refurbished equipment.

Shruti Mittal, Konark Bhandari

Article

Military Lessons from Operation Sindoor

The India-Pakistan conflict that played out between May 6 and May 10, 2025, offers several military lessons. This article presents key takeaways from Operation Sindoor and breaks down how India’s preparations shaped the outcome and what more is needed to strengthen future readiness.

Dinakar Peri

Book

India and the Sovereignty Principle: The Disaggregation Imperative

This book offers a comprehensive analysis of India's evolving relationship with sovereignty in a complex global order. Moving beyond conventional narratives, it examines how the sovereignty principle shapes India's behavior across four critical domains—from traditional military power to contemporary data governance.

Rudra Chaudhuri, Nabarun Roy