'Modi emulated Nehru on...': Tharoor as India balances US ties, Russia friendship amid Iran crisis

Congress MP-author Shashi Tharoor commented on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 12 years in office in a recent opinion piece, saying the government’s record is marked by significant achievements in foreign policy and economic transformation. Writing in Project Syndicate, Tharoor argued that Modi’s tenure has fundamentally reshaped India’s position in the world while also prompting debate over the direction of its democracy.

On foreign policy, Tharoor was largely appreciative of the Modi government’s approach. “On foreign policy, Modi has emulated Nehru, asserting India as a formidable and independent actor on the world stage,” he wrote. Rather than aligning with any single global power, Modi has pursued what Tharoor described as “the doctrine of multi-alignment,” allowing India to maintain strategic autonomy while strengthening relationships across geopolitical divides.

READ THIS: 'Significant news for Vizhinjam': Shashi Tharoor welcomes Adani Ports-MSC deal, but seeks due diligence

He said that this approach has helped India deepen ties with Gulf nations, emerge as a prominent voice for the Global South, negotiate trade agreements with the European Union and the United Kingdom. This approach, according to the former senior UN official, has so far helped India maintain its longstanding defence partnership with Russia, and simultaneously expand strategic cooperation with the US through the Quad alongside Australia and Japan.

While praising India’s growing global influence, Tharoor also acknowledged areas where he believes the government could have acted differently. Referring to the recent Iran conflict, he wrote, “India arguably should have positioned itself as a neutral party and potential mediator… rather than giving the impression that it was on the US and Israel’s side.” Even so, he concluded that “during Modi’s tenure, India has established itself as an independent pole in the global order.”

Tharoor was equally positive about several aspects of the government’s economic record. Earlier in his article, he wrote that “India has undergone dizzying progress in economic modernization,” highlighting advances in infrastructure, digital public services, financial inclusion, manufacturing and technology.

He said these reforms have improved governance, strengthened India’s economic profile and enhanced its standing as one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies. Furthermore, he had his own reservations regarding the government's handling of democratic institutions and its work vis-a-vis social cohesion.

The Congress MP argued that economic achievements should be viewed alongside institutional and social challenges. “Economic success cannot compensate for democratic failures,” he wrote, stressing that constitutional values, pluralism and strong institutions are equally important measures of national progress.

On the economy, he said one major challenge remains employment. While acknowledging India as “the world’s fastest-growing major economy,” Tharoor observed that this growth “has not translated into enough high-quality, formal-sector jobs” for the millions of young people entering the workforce each year.

ALSO READ: Modi calls Takaichi his 'younger sister'; Japan PM responds: 'We are on the same page and...'

Discussing domestic politics, the Congress veteran said that critics of the government have raised concerns about the impact of Hindutva on India’s secular fabric. He referred to criticism surrounding the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, and concerns that religious minorities, particularly Muslims and Christians, feel increasingly marginalised.

He also noted allegations that independent institutions, including sections of the media, oversight bodies and parts of the judiciary, have faced increasing pressure during the Modi years, while international democracy watchdogs have described India as an “electoral autocracy” or an “illiberal democracy.”