India has established itself as a rising power with global aspirations. With its deepening rivalry with China, the rise of Hindu nationalism under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the growing strategic importance of the Indo-Pacific, India is at a pivotal juncture.

In The Unfinished Quest: India’s Search for Major Power Status from Nehru to Modi (Oxford University Press 2024), Dr. T.V. Paul, Distinguished James McGill Professor of Political Science at McGill University, highlights a range of factors that have contributed to India’s rise and assess its future prospects on the global stage. In setting India’s trajectory in historical perspective, Paul assesses whether India can emerge as a “swing power” capable of blunting China’s aggressive actions in the Indo-Pacific. He will be joined by Dr. Daniel Markey, Senior Advisor, South Asia Programs, USIP. The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Sahar Khan, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow of the South Asia Program.