India's Strategic Autonomy Doctrine

India's foreign policy has evolved through three distinct phases: Non-Alignment (1947-1991), Strategic Autonomy (1991-2014), and Multi-Alignment (2014-present). Non-Alignment, championed by Nehru, sought to preserve sovereignty by refusing alignment with Cold War blocs. Post-Cold War, "Strategic Autonomy" emerged as a pragmatic doctrine that prioritised independent decision-making while engaging selectively with major powers. Under the current dispensation, "Multi-Alignment" seeks flexible, issue-based partnerships with competing powers — maintaining ties with both Russia and the US, for instance.