Can India Realize Its Great Power Dreams?
Can India Realize Its Great Power Dreams?
Speaker
Dr. Milan Vaishnav (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)
Date and Time
November 6, 2025, 6.30 pm - 8 pm
Venue
Rämistrasse 59, CH-8001 Zurich, Room RAA-E-08
Abstract
India today is hailed as a rising power—courted by Washington, eyed warily in Beijing, and celebrated as the world’s fastest-growing major economy. Yet behind the headlines lies a more complicated reality. U.S.–India ties have soured in recent months, Russia’s partnership offers diminishing returns, and India’s global ambitions often outstrip its diplomatic leverage. At home, steady economic growth masks piecemeal reforms and serious governance deficits that constrain the country’s long-term trajectory. In this lecture, Milan Vaishnav will examine the tension between India’s soaring aspirations and its structural limits. Can India translate its demographic weight, economic promise, and geopolitical relevance into genuine great power status?
Milan Vaishnav is a senior fellow and director of the South Asia Program and the host of the Grand Tamasha podcast at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. His primary research focus is the political economy of India, and he examines issues such as corruption and governance, state capacity, and electoral behavior. He also conducts research on the Indian diaspora. His most recent book is Institutional Roots of India’s Security Policy (Oxford University Press, 2024). He holds a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University.
Students, staff and everyone interested is cordially invited.
Organization
Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies - Indian Studies