The Role of Soft Power in India's Foreign Policy: a Case Study of Narendra Modi Administration

In recent years soft power has become an important tool for governments to achieve their foreign policy goals. India- a country with rich sources of soft power- has made great efforts to use this capacity to achieve its foreign policy goals. Among Indian leaders Narendra Modi has paid considerable attention to the capacity of soft power in Indian foreign policy. The current study with a descriptive-analytical method seeks to find the reasons why Narendra Modi has paid substantial attention to India's soft power capacity. According to the research findings, the most important reasons for Modi's special attention to soft power can be classified as follows: at the national level, 1. better condition of communication technology and social media in India in comparison to the past and using this capacity to improve public diplomacy, 2. unfavorable situation of infrastructures in India and making efforts to attract foreign investment in this field and 3. promoting the tourism industry in the country. At the regional level, reducing regional competitors influence such as China in South Asia. At the international level, promoting India's global image as a nuclear power and an emerging power, thus reducing concerns about its growing military capability.