Abstract

India’s security policy is in a state of transition as the country attempts to secure its position as an emergent power in Asia and beyond. The willingness on the part of Indian policy-makers to accept the use of force as a critical element of national power represents a profound shift from the ideational outlook that had influenced Indian policy-making in the immediate post-independence era. The task before them now involves making judicious choices about military commitments, deployments, and accordingly appropriate levels of defence spending.