Jaishankar boasted about India moving from being a “balancing power” to a “leading power”, where “Modi’s chemistry” with great-power leaders had supposedly unlocked unprecedented influence. Even Iran has not provided the Modi government access to Indian seafarers it illegally detained in Gulf waters last month. In the meantime, India’s trade deficit with China has jumped from $37.8 billion in 2014 to $116.1 billion in 2025. At Ahmedabad, the German chancellor spoke alongside Modi to claim India will reduce its defence dependence on Russia. Foreign leaders are now defining and explaining Indian policy.

Source: The Telegraph January 30, 2026 09:49 UTC