Modi’s Confused And Indecisive Foreign Policy Has Made India A Global Outcast

India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi stands in a period of clear confusion, as the government sends mixed signals to rival countries while seeking favour in Washington. Loud claims at home are not matched by clear actions abroad, and the habit of skipping key world meetings has cut India’s voice when firm words and steady presence were needed most. The outcome is shrinking trust, weaker space to act, and the picture of a state that tries to please all sides but stands alone when real choices come.

• Core reality: India tries to look close to China and Russia while hoping for relief from the United States, and this double track has broken down in full view.
• Practical effect: Friends and rivals now see a government that is unsure of its line and reluctant to defend it in open halls.

Mixed Signals at Big Tables

India stood beside the leaders of China and Russia at regional meetings and showed friendly pictures, yet these moments did not turn into real gains when pressure rose. The show looked large, but the follow-up stayed weak, and partners saw the gap between the stage and the substance. This pattern has cut India’s room to move when the agenda turns hard.

• Empty photo show: Appearances with top leaders did not build trust because they were not backed by firm positions at key hours.
• Unclear aims: India did not set plain aims for these meetings, so even small gains slipped away once the cameras stopped.

Skipping Forums, Shrinking Voice

The choice to avoid a BRICS leaders’ sitting and to lower India’s role at the UN General Assembly signalled fear of criticism and fear of angering Washington. A state that seeks major-power status cannot afford absence at the main table, since absence lets others shape the tone and the terms. By staying away, India ceded ground and lost the right to drive the debate.

• BRICS retreat: Avoiding the leaders’ level showed that India would not sit across rivals to defend its trade and energy stand.
• UNGA retreat: Skipping the main debate gave space to others and showed a lack of confidence at a world forum.

Duty Pressure and Oil Choices

India kept buying discounted Russian oil and called it a basic need, yet it did not prepare for the clear response from the West. The United States raised duties on Indian goods, with public talk linking the move to India’s oil link with Moscow, and New Delhi gave only brief lines of defence. Exporters faced a high wall while the government searched for words and ways.

• Trade pain: A steep duty wall has hurt sectors that rely on Western markets and added risk for jobs, orders, and plans.
• Policy gap: India did not build a clear path to end the duty dispute or protect key industries from the shock.

Fear of Penalties, Quiet Response

Rather than speak plainly and take a firm place at the table, the government chose silence and caution in the face of likely new penalties. This quiet line showed fear of a stronger blow from Washington and pushed India further away from open talks with China and Russia on trade issues. The result was exposure on both sides with no relief from either side.

• Lost bargaining power: By avoiding strong replies, India lost the chance to guide talks on duties and safe energy routes.
• Missed group effort: India did not use BRICS or other tables to build a joint stand on trade pressure, which left it alone.

Photo Shows Without Real Work

Pictures with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin cannot replace real talks and firm decisions when the risk is high. Partners judge by conduct in hard hours, and they saw India hold back at the very moments when a clear voice was required. A state cannot live on pictures when others demand policy, timelines, and delivery.

• No firm plan: The public show was not matched by a steady plan on oil, trade, or the border, which weakened India’s case.
• Trust fall: The gap between loud words at home and quiet steps abroad has reduced India’s standing and its power to shape outcomes.

Trust in Doubt in East and West

China and Russia now see India present for appearance but absent for decisions, and this has thinned trust. The United States and the European Union see a partner that wants access while ignoring core concerns, and they have replied with harder lines and tighter terms. A double game has turned into a lose-lose choice.

• East grows wary: Rival countries do not rely on India because it avoids firm choices when clarity is required.
• West turns strict: Duties and conditions have grown because India did not align words, timelines, and actions.

Costs at Home, Isolation Abroad

Export-linked industries face delays, extra costs, and cancelled orders, while investors read mixed signals and hold back. Without a fixed-time plan to settle the duty dispute and to keep oil flows without new penalties, the worry will pass from firms to workers and then to the wider economy. A state that hesitates pays in both markets and diplomacy.

• Industry strain: Firms cannot plan when duties shift and the government does not offer a clear road map for relief.
• Diplomatic loss: Absence at key meetings means others set rules that India must later accept without any say.

Pakistan’s Clearer Line and Regional Contrast

Pakistan has kept a steadier course by relying on law, open platforms, and careful energy choices, which has helped avoid sudden shocks in ties. While the road is not easy, this path values trust and steady contact over show and noise, and it offers a useful contrast in South Asia. In this region, clarity and patience count more than slogans.

• Responsible course: A clear and open approach has protected Pakistan’s space in trade and diplomacy and kept partners engaged.
• Lesson for the region: Consistent behaviour wins respect when big powers pull in different directions and raise fresh demands.

The Way India Should Have Taken

India needs to attend every key meeting, face hard words, and present its case with facts, timelines, and red lines that do not move. It must state plain priorities on the border, on energy, and on export access, and it must keep those lines in all rooms and with all partners. Quiet talks with Moscow and frank talks with Washington are necessary steps, not optional moves.

• Show up and speak up: Full presence at BRICS and the UNGA is the first test of seriousness and cannot be skipped again.
• Set and hold lines: Clear and shared positions on oil, duties, and market access must be announced and then defended.

Conclusion: From Autonomy to Confusion

The claim of “strategic autonomy” has sunk into strategic confusion, as pictures replace policy and retreats replace resolve. Skipping the UNGA, avoiding BRICS when debate was tough, staying quiet after duty blows, and leaning on images with Xi and Putin have all pushed India towards isolation. Unless New Delhi shows up, speaks up, and stands firm with a plan that others can see and trust, India will continue to look confused, weak, and exposed, moving step by step towards the image of an outcast state that no serious country can afford.

• Final judgment: India’s double dealing has failed, and the world now doubts both its word and its will to act.
• Plain warning: Without a course correction built on presence, clarity, and steady action, India will keep losing trust in both East and West.