India's Soft Power Exploits in the Gulf: A Strategic Tool for Achieving Global Objectives

The article examines India's strategic soft power initiatives in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, emphasizing cultural diplomacy, economic partnerships, and its extensive diaspora. It highlights how India leverages these elements to deepen bilateral ties, enhance energy and trade cooperation, and project influence, aligning its Gulf policy with broader global aspirations.

A MENA Desk Commentary by Aishik Goswami
Research and Publications Division 



 

In International Relations, power refers to “the ability to persuade others to behave differently than they would have otherwise” (Wilson, 2008). Power can be classified into two main categories in international politics: Hard Power and Soft Power. Hard power involves forcing others to comply with one's wishes. This approach emphasizes, economic sanctions, coercive diplomacy, and military intervention to promote national interests [Art 1996; Campbell and O’Hanlon 2006; Cooper 2004; Wagner 2005 as cited in (Wilson, 2008)]. In contrast, soft power is convincing others to act according to one's desires.

Soft power, a term introduced by Joseph Nye in 1990, has become a crucial concept in conversations and approaches about foreign policy. (Wilson, 2008). Nye defined it “as the capacity to achieve one's goals through persuasion or attraction rather than force” [Nye 1990 as cited in (Wilson, 2008). (Nye, 2004) stated, “In terms of resources, soft-power resources are the assets that produce such attraction.” According to Nye, soft power involves the ability to influence and persuade; hence, cultural, political, and economic factors can significantly contribute to its exercise (Sharma, 2023). A nation's music, movies, literature, and cuisine can enhance its reputation and promote its values in a positive light, which relates to cultural influence (Sharma, 2023). Political factors encompass a nation's foreign policy, diplomacy, and participation in global institutions, all of which contribute to its reputation and influence in the international arena (Sharma, 2023). Economic prosperity and innovation can also enhance a country's positive image, while foreign investment and trade can foster mutual respect and collaboration through economic partnerships (Sharma, 2023).

Although hard power may achieve short-term objectives, it can also lead to unfavourable outcomes, such as heightened resentment and instability (Sharma, 2023). Conversely, soft power may not yield immediate results but can establish lasting relationships and alliances (Sharma, 2023). As a result, major global powers, especially smaller states, have increasingly found soft power alternatives more appealing to achieve strategic objectives. Recently, there has been an increasing trend of combining hard and soft power to achieve a country's objectives, which is simply Smart power(Nye, 2009).

This essay examines the use of soft power in achieving strategic goals, focusing on India's soft power efforts and its relationship with GCC countries. Since 2014, the Narendra Modi administration has invested heavily in initiatives to enhance India's soft power, representing a shift from previous administrations. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations played a key role in organizing the "Destination India" conference, which was held in 2019 as part of India's efforts to become a leader in the global knowledge society (Singh & Kumari , 2023). Modi has also introduced the concept of a 'New India,' which aims to redefine the country's identity and standing domestically and internationally (Akther, 2023). India's successful G20 Presidency in 2023 is a testament to its soft power and ability to play a crucial role on the world stage (Prabhu, 2024). Given these developments, India serves as an excellent case study for analysing the role of soft power in the Gulf region.

India's Soft Power Exploits with the GCC Countries

India and the Gulf countries have a positive relationship based on energy, trade and the safety of Indian expatriates (Solanki, 2024)). India receives over half of the remittances from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. Indian migration to the Gulf is a significant source of revenue for the country and a critical backbone for the economies of high-migration states like Kerala. GCC countries are considered part of India's "extended neighbourhood" and "natural economic hinterland" (SHEIKH , 2019).

Around 8.5 million non-resident Indians work in the Gulf, accounting for over 30% of the expatriate workforce. The Gulf Cooperation Council is India's primary regional bloc trading partner, accounting for 15.8% of India's total trade in FY2022-23 (Chintamani, 2023). Within the GCC, the UAE has remained India's principal trading partner and the third-largest trading partner. Saudi Arabia is fourth in this regard(Chintamani, 2023). Furthermore, the Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemicals project in Maharashtra, India, with a US$44bn investment from Indian, Saudi Arabian, and Emirati oil companies, is a clear testament to the burgeoning economic influence of soft power (Chintamani, 2023). 

Economic Cooperation Through Diplomatic Engagements and Partnerships

Modi's close relationships with Gulf leaders, especially UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, have positively impacted India's political alliances and cooperation on sensitive issues (Agarwal, 2022). These strong personal connections have helped to strengthen India's political ties with the Gulf region. PM Modi's visit to the UAE in August 2015 was a historic event, marking the first time in over 34 years that an Indian Prime Minister had visited the country (Agarwal, 2022). The two leaders agreed to strengthen their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership during the visit, setting a positive tone for future interactions.

Due to its location and standing in the region, the UAE plays a crucial role in India's ‘West Asia’ policy and is a significant participant in key regional forums such as the GCC and Arab League (Agarwal, 2022). It also plays a part in the I2U2, known as the 'West Asian Quad,' comprising India, Israel, the US, and the UAE. (Agarwal, 2022). In 2018, India and the UAE signed a Memorandum of Understanding to generate an estimated $20 billion over ten years to keep pace with evolving technological demands and achieve national objectives (Puri, et al., 2022).

Moreover, the two nations took a significant step by signing the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) on May 1, 2022. This agreement is expected to pave the way for new trade, investment, and innovation opportunities and strengthen bilateral cooperation across various sectors (Puri, et al., 2022). Additionally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in 2024 that the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payment system will be expanded in the UAE, marking a significant milestone in the India-UAE relationship (Mehrotra & Gupta, 2024). This evolving India-UAE relationship is a testament to the rising soft power matrix between the two countries and has a greater impact on Indo-Gulf relations.

The trip of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in April 2016 was a crucial moment in the enhancement of political, economic, security, and defence cooperation between the two countries (Quamar, 2022). During his visit, King Salman bestowed upon the Prime Minister the prestigious King Abdulaziz Sash, which underscored the value that Saudi Arabia places on its relationship with India ( (Embassy of India, Saudi Arabia, 2024). The Indian community in Saudi Arabia, which numbers over 2.4 million, serves as a living bridge between the two countries and is highly esteemed for its contributions to the Kingdom's development (Embassy of India, Saudi Arabia, 2024). This soft power dynamic has led to the creation of the Strategic Partnership Council (SPC) between the two countries, which includes two sub-committees: (I) Committee on Political, Security, Social and Cultural Cooperation and (II) Committee on Economy and Investments (Embassy of India, Saudi Arabia, 2024).

Furthermore, the bond between India and Oman has been strengthened by top-level governmental visits, alongside the endorsement of significant bilateral accords and memoranda of understanding in fields including healthcare, tourism, agriculture, and space exploration collaboration, all of which exemplify the practice of soft power diplomacy (SHEIKH, 2019)India and Oman have also enjoyed robust economic and commercial relations, as evidenced by the bilateral trade that has flourished between them. In the fiscal year 2021-2022, this trade reached a remarkable USD 9.988 billion, representing a staggering 90% increase from the previous year. Accordingly, India's exports accounted for USD 3.148 billion, while its imports amounted to USD 6.840 billion (Embassy of India, Oman, 2024).

The partnership between India and Qatar has also been consistently strengthened across many industries, bolstered by their long-standing relationship and communication at the highest levels of government. In June 2016, Prime Minister Modi held in-depth conversations with His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of Qatar, during his visit to Doha, discussing shared interests regarding bilateral, regional, and multilateral matters (Ministry of External Affairs, India, 2024). During Prime Minister Modi's recent visit, the two nations also signed seven MoUs/Agreements that covered a range of areas, including Infrastructure, Finance, Skill Development, Customs Matters, Health, Tourism, and Sports (Ministry of External Affairs, India, 2024).

It's worth noting that the Indian community makes up approximately 27% of Qatar's population, with over 835,000 Indian nationals residing there as of December 2023 (Ministry of External Affairs, India, 2024). This community is incredibly diverse, with professionals in various fields such as medicine, engineering, education, finance, banking, business, and media, as well as a significant number of blue-collar workers who are highly regarded for their hard work, qualifications, and contributions to the growth and prosperity of Qatar (Ministry of External Affairs, India, 2024). As a result of which, they play a crucial role in advocating for India's interests in Qatar.

Furthermore, recently, the Qatari Court of Appeals has renounced the death penalty for eight former Indian naval personnel. Interestingly, this decision was made when Prime Minister Modi met with the Qatari Amir on the sidelines of the COP28 Summit in Dubai to discuss the "well-being of the Indian community" in Qatar. This event highlights the success of India's soft power approach in promoting better cooperation between the two nations. (JYOTIRANJAN, 2024).

India and Kuwait, too, have a long-standing relationship that is strengthened by a soft power dynamic. Before 1961, Kuwait recognized the Indian Rupee as its official currency. Since then, India has remained a significant trading partner with Kuwait. (Embassy of India,Kuwait, 2023). In June 2021, Dr. S. Jaishankar, the Minister of External Affairs of India, visited Kuwait. During his visit, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed for 'Cooperation in the Recruitment of Domestic Workers’ (Embassy of India,Kuwait, 2023). This agreement was essential for securing the interests of both future and existing Indians in Kuwait, as it is the largest expatriate community, with almost a million people in the country (Embassy of India,Kuwait, 2023).

India and Bahrain also share a robust and amicable relationship founded on strong political, economic, and cultural bonds among their citizens. An illustration of this was the August 2019 state visit extended to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain. (Embassy of India, Bahrain, 2024). It was a momentous event, signifying the initial visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Bahrain. During this occasion, PM Modi met with His Majesty the King, the Prime Minister of Bahrain, and the Crown Prince of Bahrain (Embassy of India, Bahrain, 2024). Additionally, PM Modi addressed the thriving Indian community of 350,000 individuals residing in Bahrain(Embassy of India, Bahrain, 2024). A significant Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and Bahrain’s Electronic Network for Financial Transactions to further strengthen economic ties. This MoU will pave the way for launching the RuPay Card in Bahrain, an Indian multinational payment and financial services system (Embassy of India, Bahrain, 2024). Two statements of intent were also exchanged, focusing on collaboration between Space Technology and the International Solar Alliance (Embassy of India, Bahrain, 2024). In the financial year of 2022-23, the trade between the two countries grew by approximately 20%, reaching a total of 1.98 billion. During this period, Bahrain was the beneficiary of the favourable trade. India remains one of Bahrain's top five trading partners. All these factors have weighed together to promote economic cooperation between the two countries, one of the key tenets of soft power.

Bilateral Engagements Through Cultural Cooperation

The Gulf benefits greatly from introducing Indian cultural activity, adding much-needed vitality. Indians are still the preferred migrant community due to their exceptional technical proficiency, discipline, and ability to adapt to the social norms of the Gulf. Moreover, their reputation for being amicable and accommodating individuals further cements their status. (Abraham, 2012). On February 14th, 2024, the Prime Minister inaugurated the largest Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, UAE (Mogul, 2024). This move is expected to boost India's soft power and influence in the predominantly Muslim-dominated country.

Moreover, in line with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, there has been a marked increase in bilateral cultural activities recently. During its 32nd edition from February 7-28, 2018, India was declared the "Guest of Honour" at the prestigious Saudi National Festival of Heritage and Culture - Janadriyah (Embassy of India, Saudi Arabia, 2024). The signing of an MoU on Yoga Cooperation between the Saudi Ministry of Sports and India's Ministry of AYUSH on International Yoga Day 2021 was a landmark moment, as it marked the first time that any country in the Gulf region had implemented formal Yoga standards and courses (Embassy of India, Saudi Arabia, 2024).

Additionally, the bilateral Hajj agreement for 2024 between India and Saudi Arabia, which set a total quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims from India, is an example of the improved dialogue between the two countries to promote religious tourism (Financial Express, 2024). Moreover, Bahrain is home to the region's oldest Hindu temple, the Shreenathji Temple, which has been a part of Bahrain's history for over 200 years. Recently, Bahrain approved land allocation for the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Bahrain in January 2022, improving further cultural cooperation between both countries.

Additionally, the 673,789 Indians and Expatriates in Oman have contributed outstandingly to the cultural ties between the two countries (Embassy of India, Oman, 2024). Moreover, Numerous Indian organizations have established a presence in the Gulf by legally registering in their host countries. Some notable examples include the India Social and Cultural Centre and Indian Community Welfare Committee in Kuwait, the Indian Social Club and Kalamandalam (Institute of Performing Arts) in Bahrain, the Indian Doctors Forum in Saudi Arabia, and the Indian Tamil Fine Arts Association in the United Arab Emirates and the Association of Indian Professionals and Bharathi KalaiMandran in Qatar (Abraham, 2012).

In FY23, bilateral trade between India and Saudi Arabia reached US$ 52.76 billion. Saudi Arabia is a crucial player in upholding India's energy security and remains the third-largest supplier of crude and petroleum products to India for FY 2022-23 (Embassy of India, Saudi Arabia, 2024). This growing energy tie has also boosted India and Saudi Arabia’s naval cooperation as maritime neighbours. To date, the two nations have completed two successful editions of the bilateral naval exercise 'Al Mohed Al Hindi'. They are actively collaborating to bolster their defence industries and capacity building (Embassy of India, Saudi Arabia, 2024).

Given Oman's geostrategic location, India has sought berthing facilities for its warships patrolling the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea to ensure the safety of Sea Lines of Communications (Quamar, 2022). Furthermore, in 2016, New Delhi and Muscat signed an MoU to enhance maritime and coastal security cooperation, including joint training and regular exercises (Quamar, 2022). India also engages strategically in the biennial Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX) hosted by Qatar. This participation is aimed at promoting bilateral cooperation and interaction between the two countries in maritime security.

As part of this effort, Indian Naval and Coast Guard ships visit Qatar to facilitate and enhance dialogue in maritime security (Ministry of External Affairs,India, 2024) Furthermore, India has relied on Kuwait as a trusted provider of valuable resources such as crude oil and LPG, which were crucial for meeting energy demands in October of 2020 (Embassy of India,Kuwait, 2023). High-level discussions were conducted between the two nations to enhance cooperation and engagement in the oil industry, safeguarding India's strategic energy interests (Embassy of India,Kuwait, 2023). Most recently, a significant milestone was achieved on August 19, 2023, when India's INS Visakhapatnam, a destroyer ship, docked at Al-Shuwaikh Port in Kuwait (ZAWYA, 2023).

This development marked a new chapter in the bilateral collaboration between the Indian and Kuwaiti navies in the Persian Gulf, amidst increasing Chinese interest in the area. Additionally, on September 28, 2021, a virtual meeting was held between the Hon'ble Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas of India, Hardeep S Puri, and His Excellency Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Minister of Oil, Bahrain (Embassy of India, Bahrain, 2024). The meeting focused on identifying opportunities to strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector, specifically in upstream and downstream sectors. (Embassy of India, Bahrain, 2024).

Vaccine Diplomacy in the Gulf

India has made noteworthy contributions towards the development, healthcare, and peacebuilding of its neighbouring countries and the global community by addressing their health concerns (Singh, et al., 2023). Indian soft-power strategy in terms of vaccine diplomacy in the gulf was notable during the COVID-19 relief. During the COVID-19 pandemic, India launched the Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) mission as part of its diplomatic "Vaccine Maitri" initiative. The mission focused on providing vaccines (Covaxin and Covishield) to nations in need (Sharun & Dhama, 2021). India's Vaccine Diplomacy was also demonstrated when a medical team travelled from India to Kuwait in April 2020 to help fight COVID-19(Embassy of India,Kuwait, 2023). Furthermore, 200000 doses of Covishield vaccines were supplied to Kuwait in February 2021 (Embassy of India,Kuwait, 2023). In solidarity with India's fight against the pandemic, the iconic Kuwait Towers were lit in the Indian Tricolour on May 26, 2021, with the message 'Kuwait stands with India’ (Embassy of India,Kuwait, 2023). These elements' convergence has strengthened defence relations between the two countries. Notably, naval collaboration has reached its pinnacle since 2022. Bahrain and India collaborated as well to address Covid-related concerns. Bahrain provided aid and medical assistance and administered free COVID-19 vaccinations to all individuals in Bahrain, including those of Indian descent. India reciprocated by gifting Bahrain 100,000 doses of Covishield vaccines and facilitating travel of medical professionals to Bahrain (Embassy of India, Bahrain, 2024).

Conclusion

India's soft power has always held a significant place on the global stage. From yoga to spirituality, Bollywood to Bharatnatyam, Buddhism to cuisine, and tourism, India has craftily utilized its vast cultural wealth to increase its influence worldwide (Kumari, 2023). Moreover, India's diaspora is also an invaluable source of soft power. With a vast diaspora spanning multiple nations and every continent, it is regarded as one of the most significant soft power resources in international affairs (Kumari, 2023). India's soft power strategy has employed both economic and political tools to enhance its image and appeal globally, as has been analysed in the gulf, which has led to achieving of strategic objectives such as maritime, economic, energy and cultural cooperation, business, tourism and well-being of the expatriates (Adhikari & Saha, 2023). Prime Minister Modi's social media influence has played a fundamental role in advancing India's digital diplomacy and promoting yoga as a means of projecting India's soft power, particularly in the Gulf.

The GCC is strategically important to India, as it is home to its largest expatriate population, whose remittances contribute significantly to India's economy (SHEIKH , 2019). The GCC countries are also critical to India's energy security, given India's growing dependence on oil for industrial growth (SHEIKH , 2019). As such, India must consider the GCC as a significant political, strategic, and economic partner and expand its engagement beyond trade and business. By utilizing even more soft and smart power approaches, India should diversify its relationship with the GCC in technology, health, services, and infrastructure. This diversification will be crucial for India to bolster its position even more in the global south and in the world.

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