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India is the world's largest democracy by population, with more than 1.4 billion people living on the subcontinent. It's also the fifth-largest economy in the world. This growing power is causing India to become more visible in foreign policy. How much does India care about the West and Russia?
India is leading in terms of population, with well over a billion citizens, surpassing China. The country's economy is booming too. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ambitious goals for his second term in office, aiming to make India the world's third largest economy and surpass Germany.
India's growing importance in the global sphere is noted by observers like Matthias Catón, head of the Indo-German Centre for Business Excellence at Frankfurt School. Catón believes there's a lot of pride in India's new prominence, especially among the country's political and economic elites.
India can be found in various blocs and alliances. As part of the G20, it's involved in major decision-making meetings with other world powers. It's also part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, which includes the United States, Japan, and Australia, and focuses on a free Indo-Pacific.
Yet, India isn't just a Western partner. Historically, there's been close cooperation with Russia going back to Soviet times. Christoph Mohr, who studies India at the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation, explains this relationship. One aspect is economic dependencies, but assessing India's overall economic prospects can be challenging given its size and ambitions. Where does India stand compared to economic powerhouse China?
Join host Andrea Sellmann in the first part of our double podcast featuring Matthias Catón and Christoph Mohr as they explore these questions and many more.
Matthias Catón leads the Indo-German Centre for Business Excellence at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, a think tank focusing on German-Indian economic relations. He's been researching international politics and economics for years and also hosts the podcast "Business Diplomacy Today."
Christoph Mohr is the head of the India Office for the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation in Delhi, focusing on India's political and social issues.
Image: Matthias Catón
Image: Christoph Mohr
