All Things Policy India's Grand Strategy Towards Pakistan
Oct 10, 2025
Aishwaria Sonavane, a researcher in Pakistan Studies at the Takshashila Institution, provides an insightful analysis of India's grand strategy toward Pakistan. She discusses the continuity of India's approach since the 1990s, focusing on limiting Pakistan's ability to disrupt India's growth. Key points include the economic reforms boosting defense spending, tactical military responses, and framing Pakistan's military-jihadi complex. Aishwaria highlights the importance of backchannels for crisis management and the challenges posed by Pakistan's resilient military posture.
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Consistent Strategic Goal Across Governments
- India's central strategic objective is to limit Pakistan's capacity to disrupt India's economic growth and national security.
- Successive governments have pursued this consistent goal despite different tactical approaches.
Economic Growth As Strategic Power
- India's 1991 economic reforms became a strategic asset by enabling higher defense spending and resilience.
- Economic asymmetry made sustained Pakistani military confrontation increasingly difficult.
Military And Militant Nexus Framing
- New Delhi treats the Pakistani military and militant proxies as a single "military jihadi complex."
- India stopped doing dossier diplomacy and treats terror attacks as acts warranting military response.