India as the Vishwaguru and a Challenge to the Liberal International Order
India as the Vishwaguru and a Challenge to the Liberal International Order

Summary/Abstract: India’s role in the post-Cold War liberal international order (LIO) has primarily been examined in terms of whether it can become a revisionist or status quo power, both politically and economically. However, the concept of India as a ‘Vishwaguru’ (world teacher), promoted by the BJP government of Narendra Modi since 2014, projects India as a source of norms and principles that can govern international relations. This raises the question of how this new proposal might affect the LIO? Using a ‘normative power’ concept, this chapter seeks to understand the ‘Vishwaguru’ as an alternative proposition of ordering international system. It looks at critical government and ruling party documents, speeches by BJP leaders and supporters, and existing literature to better understand the rationale and goals of this new approach. It finds that India is thereby undermining Western dominance of the global discourse on the international system and poses a normative challenge to the political and economic LIO. While India’s approach reveals its ambitions for global power, it also contains essential flaws and contradictions that will limit the effectiveness of this strategy.

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