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Can India Ever Become a Great Power?

Mon. April 11th, 2016
Washington, DC

While India’s rise is undeniable, its trajectory within the global order remains unclear. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for India to become a leading power represents a change in how the country’s top political leadership conceives of its role in international politics. However, India will only acquire this status when its economic foundations, its state institutions, and its military capabilities are truly robust. It will take a concerted effort to reach this pinnacle.

Ashley J. Tellis’s paper, India as a Leading Power, comes at a critical point in Modi’s term, when important decisions about Indian national renewal are necessary if the country is to attain strategic success during the next few decades. Devesh Kapur and Arvind Subramanian served as discussants, examining the challenges that Modi’s government faces in steering India toward realizing his vision. Carnegie’s Milan Vaishnav moderated.

This month the South Asia Program is proud to announce the launch of Carnegie India, Carnegie’s sixth international center, in New Delhi. Watch video and view photos from the launch event.

on The launch of carnegie india

Ashley J. Tellis

Ashley J. Tellis is a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace specializing in international security, defense, and Asian strategic issues.

Devesh Kapur

Devesh Kapur was appointed director of the Center for the Advanced Study of India in 2006. He is a professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania, and holds the Madan Lal Sobti chair for the study of contemporary India.

Arvind Subramanian

Arvind Subramanian is the chief economic advisor to the government of India. He is on leave from his position as the Dennis Weatherstone senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

Milan Vaishnav

Milan Vaishnav is a senior associate in the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. His primary research focus is the political economy of India.

EconomySecurityMilitaryForeign PolicySouth AsiaIndia
Carnegie 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.
event speakers

Ashley J. Tellis

Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs

Ashley J. Tellis is the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, specializing in international security and U.S. foreign and defense policy with a special focus on Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

Milan Vaishnav

Director and Senior Fellow, South Asia Program

Milan Vaishnav is a senior fellow and director of the South Asia Program and the host of the Grand Tamasha podcast at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. His primary research focus is the political economy of India, and he examines issues such as corruption and governance, state capacity, distributive politics, and electoral behavior. He also conducts research on the Indian diaspora.

Devesh Kapur

Starr Foundation Professor, Johns Hopkins (SAIS)

Devesh Kapur is the Starr Foundation Professor of South Asian studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He is the author of three books on migration, including The Other One Percent: Indians in America (with Sanjoy Chakravorty and Nirvikar Singh).

Arvind Subramanian