In our most recent Oxford Debate, we asked whether Asia's rise will lead to a new world order. India, as the world's most populous country, largest democracy, and fifth-largest economy, is at the forefront of this discussion. With the Modi government's ambitions to position India as a leading global power, the interplay of national interests and international relations is (re-)shaping the country’s national identity, influencing not just the ongoing elections in India, but also the country's democracy at large.

How has India's national identity evolved over the past four decades? In which way has the country’s ascent as a rising power changed its national and geopolitical interests? And how are those shifts affecting the world's largest democracy?

Join us for a Talk at the Library with political scientist and 9DASHLINE Editor-in-Chief, Dr Manali Kumar. The conversation will be moderated by Rebecca Farner, Outreach and Communications Manager at Asia Society Switzerland.

This event is for Asia Society Members only. If you are not yet a Member, you can easily become one by selecting "I am not yet a Member" during the registration process. 

Dr Manali Kumar is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Lecturer at the University of St Gallen. Her research focuses on India’s national identity and interests as a rising power, as well as the value of prudence for making decisions under uncertainty. She is the Editor-in-Chief of 9DASHLINE, an independent blog focusing on developments across the Indo-Pacific, and has a PhD in Political Science from the National University of Singapore.

About Talks at the Library

Talk at the Library is a members-only series where we invite an expert to our office library (or on Zoom), over lunch, for a conversation on specific niche topics on a variety of countries and regions of Asia. The program consists of a moderated discussion and subsequent audience Q&A. Participants have the opportunity interact with the experts, asking questions live or online.