Vijay Kumar Maidergi, and Richa Tiwari
Discussions and debates aplenty among academicians, policymakers, and journalists regarding India&s;s status in the world&s;s power hierarchy. For some, India is a middle power, an emerging power. For some, it already is a great power, 1 casting aside the aspirational side of India&s;s status as such. The aspiration for great power status may not be India&s;s stated foreign policy objective. Nevertheless, it seeks recognition as one in the international arena. In a lecture delivered to the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS), Minister of External Affairs, Jaishankar said, “India aspires to be a leading power, rather than just a balancing power.” Further, he acknowledged the “reality of a multipolar world” and reiterated that India&s;s rise to great-power status will be determined by how it engages with the major powers today. 2