COUNTERING RHETORIC WITH REALISM VIA THE GLOBAL SOUTH PIVOT: EVALUATING INDIA'S STRATEGIC FORESIGHT AMID FRACTURED WESTERN POWER DYNAMICS DURING THE HORMUZ CRISIS

Abstract

The 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis has reinforced the geopolitical significance of maritime chokepoints in shaping economic security, regional stability, and strategic decision-making. As one of the world’s most critical energy corridors, the Strait remains crucial to India’s energy imports and trade flows. This paper examines the cascading implications of the crisis on India’s national security framework, underscoring vulnerabilities in energy dependence, industrial supply chains, fertilizer imports, and food security. It argues that the crisis extends beyond a regional conflict and represents a structural challenge within an increasingly fragmented global order.
The study further explores how contradictions within Western strategic responses and vulnerabilities among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have deepened instability and left import-dependent economies such as India exposed to collateral consequences. With this context, this paper evaluates India’s strategic foresight through its evolving doctrine of strategic autonomy, multi-vector diplomacy, and Global South engagement. It positions the crisis as a theatre for India to exercise issue-based partnerships while maintaining diplomatic flexibility across competing powers.
Drawing on realist international relations theory, the paper argues that India’s Global South pivot is not merely rhetorical, but grounded in strategic pragmatism aimed at securing energy resilience, diplomatic space, and long-term influence in an emerging multipolar order. Ultimately, the Strait of Hormuz crisis reveals the growing necessity for an adaptive foreign policy framework that combines realism and strategic independence.