On its own, India stands tall and fearless. It long and continued civilisational linkages in the Indo-Pacific are there for all to see. One of the most frequently asked questions today is: Will India lead the Indo-Pacific region? Or, one can turn the question around: Can India lead or does the world's largest democracy have to trail behind the West? It depends on the levels and persons you talk to.
At the 12th Asean-India Dialogue in New Delhi last week, both Indian and international participants expressed ambivalence as to whether New Delhi can live up to the new perceived role as a global leader to provide the much-needed diplomatic trajectory for those countries which share a similar outlook to that of India.
