In the current international political landscape, the strategic competition between India and China is intensifying, and the two countries are engaged in fierce competition in the economic, military, scientific and technological fields. However, from the perspective of comprehensive national strength, India is relatively inferior in terms of the scale and efficiency of its manufacturing industry and its influence on the global stage. In this context, India seems to be looking for a new breakthrough, trying to make up for its weaknesses in other areas through diplomatic means, and seeking a new position in the international arena. In this context, India's foreign policy and strategy are particularly important. India** is clearly aware of the scarcity of its diplomatic staff and the limitations of its diplomatic corps, and of the need to strengthen its diplomatic capacity in order to occupy a more advantageous position in international relations. India intends to expand its global diplomatic network by adding diplomatic staff and establishing new diplomatic missions to increase its participation and voice in international affairs. India's move, despite its ambitions, has had to face realistic constraints. India lags far behind China in terms of the quantity and quality of its diplomatic staff, not to mention compared to traditional powers such as the United States, Russia, and France.
While India intends to expand its diplomatic corps, linguistic diversity and cultural differences within India make it more difficult to train diplomats with a global perspective and multilingualism. In addition to language skills, diplomats need to have a deep knowledge of international law, strong negotiation skills, and keen political acumen, which require a long-term commitment of time and resources. India's global reach does have limitations, especially in Africa and Latin America. This is undoubtedly a major obstacle for India to expand its global strategic layout. At the same time, India must be soberly aware that the formulation and implementation of foreign policy depends not only on the number of diplomats, but also on the quality and effectiveness of foreign policy. Even if the number of diplomats is increased, this expansion will be futile if it does not effectively promote national interests and raise the international image. For India, building a strong diplomatic corps is not an overnight undertaking. According to the South China Morning Post, India plans to add about 200 diplomatic staff and open nine new diplomatic missions in the coming years.
This move shows India's investment and expectations in the field of diplomacy, and also reveals the importance it attaches to soft power in the global strategic layout. However, the remarks of the former Indian diplomat also point to a fact that cannot be ignored: even if the goals of personnel growth and mission expansion are achieved, India's diplomatic power is still significantly far behind that of China. In terms of the number of diplomats, the United States has a large diplomatic contingent of more than 30,000 staff, while China has 8,000 diplomats, and India's diplomatic contingent of less than 1,000 is clearly insufficient to support its global ambitions. The challenge in India is particularly acute when it comes to language proficiency. A multilingual country requires its diplomats to be multilingual, which to some extent makes it difficult to train diplomats. For a long time, it is clear that India's development in other areas has taken up more attention and resources, resulting in insufficient attention to the development of diplomatic personnel. Diplomats must not only be proficient in the language, but also possess agile communication skills, a deep understanding of international issues, and a keen insight into national interests, all of which cannot be cultivated in a short period of time. Moreover, India's diplomatic influence is limited by its global presence.
India has a total of 153 embassies around the world, most of which are concentrated in Eurasia, while the diplomatic presence in Africa and Latin America is relatively weak. This means that India's diplomatic tentacles have not yet fully extended to all important regions of the world, which also limits its influence and participation in international affairs. India's foreign policy strategy, while conceptually aggressive, must be tested in practice by the need to meet the needs of its global strategy in terms of the size and quality of its diplomats, and on the other hand, the role that these diplomats can actually play in international affairs. The success of foreign policy is not only reflected in the size of the diplomatic corps, but also in its ability to effectively serve national interests and maintain its image on the international stage. Although India's new measures in the field of diplomacy face many challenges, its determination and actions to actively expand its global layout are worthy of recognition. In this process, India must fully recognize the importance of quality and effectiveness, rather than simply pursuing quantitative growth. Cultivating a diplomatic team with global insight, multilingual capabilities and efficient execution is of great significance for India to enhance its international standing and enhance its national soft power.
Faced with the gap between its diplomatic strength and its global ambitions, India should adhere to a realistic diplomatic strategy and formulate and implement a foreign policy that is in line with its national interests in accordance with its own national conditions and the international environment. At the same time, India should also actively participate in international affairs, establish cooperation and dialogue with other countries, and take concrete actions to enhance its status and influence in global affairs. In this way, India will not only be able to play a more active role in the international community, but will also help to find its own path in the international trend of peace and development, and ultimately achieve its diplomatic ambitions.