Strengthening India’s global influence through public diplomacy

Public diplomacy involves systematic communication efforts—whether by governments, non-state actors, or international organisations and other entities—addressed to foreign audiences, aimed at fostering favourable public opinion and enhancing foreign policy outcomes. The United States (US), for example—following the world wars, the Cold War, and 9/11—has used public diplomacy to gain favourable opinion, promote policy priorities, and build relationships with the global public. During the Cold War, it synchronised public diplomacy with its broadcasting initiatives, communicating both the ills of the USSR and the strengths of the West.

Public diplomacy is often viewed as propaganda. However, public diplomacy is concerned solely with influencing, rather than interfering in, public opinion, and several countries—such as South Korea—have perfected this approach.

Since the Korean War in 1950, South Korea has strategically harnessed public diplomacy, making it a cornerstone of its global presence. A driver of this has been the cultural phenomenon known as Hallyu—which includes K-pop, cinema, and television drama—which has captivated global audiences in recent years. South Korea has even legislated its approach to public diplomacy, with guidelines for multi-year plans and annual strategies, recognising the role of non-state actors. South Korea has also utilised international events such as the G20 summit, the World Expo, the Olympics, and the football World Cup to present its story to the world. Despite past economic challenges, South Korea has thrived in public diplomacy, which largely rests on the arts, culture, education, academia, youth, media, and publishing, all of which are geared towards “winning hearts and minds abroad.” South Korean diplomats in foreign countries actively promote Korean culture and media in interviews and op-eds, and by organising cultural events.

Japan, too, has leveraged public diplomacy in multiple ways. The Japan Foundation, which operates under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, focuses on Japanese studies, language education, and cultural exchange. Established by special legislation, it aims to deepen global understanding of Japan, promote international mutual understanding, and contribute to global culture. These organisations exemplify how dedicated agencies backed by government commitment can engage in public diplomacy to bolster their countries’ global standing.

In this digital age, it becomes important for countries like India to employ public diplomacy as a responsible power. India needs to adopt a public diplomacy policy that can effectively communicate the nation’s story to foreign audiences. India’s rich cultural heritage and economic growth offer lessons in strength that should be effectively communicated. Further, India’s digital public infrastructure and initiatives like the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Relief Infrastructure demonstrate its commitment to a sustainable future. Embracing public diplomacy would also enable India to build international networks that address complex issues and influence policy decisions in its favour.

India was ranked 28th in the Global Soft Power Index 2023 report—a rank higher than its 29th position in 2022 —making it the second year in which the country has featured in the top 30 countries. India also received a silver medal at the Soft Power Olympics in the future growth potential report. According to the State of Southeast Asia Survey 2023, India has also gained trust among the ASEAN countries, recording an improvement in trust ratings from 16 percent in 2022 to 25 percent in 2023. The ASEAN countries have also developed a favourable view of the Quad arrangement comprising the US, India, Japan, and Australia: 50.4 percent of regional respondents agree or strongly agree that the strengthening of the minilateral group will be constructive for the region.

Foreign media outlets such as Bloomberg have also highlighted India’s soft power, reinforced through the country hosting the G20 and SCO in 2023. However, India needs to shape this soft power to lay strong foundations for the future through managing its global reputation and influence. An increasing number of countries have adopted public diplomacy as an element of statecraft. This brief recommends that India formulate a similar focused public diplomacy policy. A component of such policy would be the creation of a specialised public diplomacy agency to be helmed by a chief public diplomat. An Indian public diplomacy agency within the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) would be instrumental in placing strategic communications at the forefront of India’s foreign policy initiatives. This will fill the critical gap in the current MEA setup, where institutions like the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Economic Division do not prioritise strategic communications in India’s diplomatic efforts.

The proposed public diplomacy agency would not be a completely new and independent entity, but instead be a restructuring of the existing External Publicity and Public Diplomacy Division (XPD) division within the MEA. The proposed agency, rather than duplicating the efforts of the ICCR, would complement the latter by adding a strategic communications dimension to India’s diplomatic initiatives. The proposed agency would therefore operate within the overarching ambit of the MEA to ensure seamless alignment with broader foreign policy objectives, avoid fragmentation, and promote synergy among various diplomatic functions.

The paper can be accessed by clicking here.

This paper has been authored by Sudarshan Ramabadran, ORF.