Sharma, Vinayak
Enhancing india’s soft power: A strategic imperative
- U.S.I. Journal: Indian’s Oldest Journal on Defence Affairs
- 154(637), Jul-Sep, 2024: p.395-408
Soft power projection, much like artificial intelligence, has become one of the most important elements of Comprehensive National Power (CNP). Countries have begun investing heavily in enhancing their soft power projection to bolster their CNP. Nations such as the United States and the rest of the ‘Westosphere’ already have institutionalised mechanisms in place that are used with ruthless efficiency, as seen with the onset of Russia’s special operation in Ukraine, to disseminate their message to the masses. At the same time, middle powers such as India have begun to recognise the benefits of having similar institutions. While India is taking steps to improve the projection of soft power, there are myriad lessons which it can learn from the already affluent in this regard. Therefore, this article is written with a view to provide a contour of the United States’ use of Hollywood in influencing both local and global populations since the Second World War and China’s use of its diasporas and economic heft to engineer social conditioning. Furthermore, the article concludes with certain suggestions which can be used to institutionalise the soft power projection mechanism of India.- Reproduced
https://www.usiofindia.org/pdf/20241129145910.pdf