Not just cheap Russian oil, India wants much more

Time of India

a day ago

As India and the US spar over India's import of Russian oil, there is much more at play than India's need for cheap energy. The trade talks stalemate between the two countries points at issues beyond India's refusal to open its market to certain American products. India doesn't merely want cheap oil or a fair trade deal with the US -- it wants a whole new world order. India's pursuit of wider ambitions suggests the India-US stalemate may not resolve anytime soon because any capitulation to US President Donald Trump will retard India's new-found drive to attain a global power status.
India's Ministry of External Affairs issued a pointed six-point rebuttal to Trump's accusation of India not 'caring how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian war machine'. The ministry statement cleverly flipped the narrative by pointing to the West's own hypocrisy. While India is often singled out for continuing trade ties with Moscow, both the US and European Union remain engaged in trade with Russia. The statement said India, 'like any major economy, will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security'.
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However, soon after, External affairs minister S. Jaishankar went one step further than asserting India's national interest and economic security. On Monday, Jaishankar reiterated the need for a fair and multipolar global order, stating, 'Our collective desire is to see a fair and representative global order, not one dominated by a few.' Speaking at the BIMSTEC Traditional Music Festival in Delhi, he said, 'We live in complicated and uncertain times. Our collective desire is to see a fair and representative global order, not one dominated by a few. That quest is often articulated as political or economic rebalancing.'
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Jaishankar's remarks have moved the conversation beyond Russian oil or trade friction. His message is subtle but unmistakable: India's foreign policy is driven by a long-term vision of a world where no single power -- not even the United States -- holds a disproportionate sway. In such a world, countries like India will have greater room to maneuver, and global governance will reflect the voices and concerns of a broader, more diverse range of nations.
The call for a multipolar world is not new in India's foreign policy rhetoric, but its articulation at this moment -- in the face of
tariff
pressure from Trump -- shows that India sees the current standoff as emblematic of a larger struggle. It is not simply about tariffs or trade deficits. It is about who gets to decide the rules of global engagement, and whether emerging powers like India will have to keep operating within frameworks shaped by Western priorities or help shape a new, more balanced order.
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Trump's tariffs and India's pursuit of strategic autonomy
Trump's imposition of 25% tariffs on Indian goods, with threats of more to come, may backfire if the intent was to coerce India into compliance. Instead of folding under economic pressure, India appears more resolute in pursuing independent policies. The tariffs and threats merely reinforce the perception in New Delhi that a unipolar or even bipolar global structure is inherently unstable and prone to exploitation. India's refusal to yield is a declaration that it will not mortgage its foreign policy to transactional deals or coercive diplomacy, even when that pressure comes from one of its most powerful partners.
India's pursuit of a multipolar world is also strategic insurance against the rise of China. India understands that relying solely on Western security partnerships is insufficient. A truly multipolar world, where power is more evenly distributed among many actors -- the US, EU, China, Russia, India and others -- allows India to better hedge its bets. It also grants greater flexibility in managing crises, choosing partners and asserting its own voice in global forums.
In this vision, India is not merely a passive recipient of global trends but an active shaper of the emerging order. This means resisting pressure, building coalitions across Asia, Africa,and Latin America, and insisting on reform of global institutions like the UN, IMF and WTO so they reflect present-day realities, not post-WWII power dynamics.
Not just trade, but a test of will
India's current friction with Trump is about more than protectionism or oil. It's a test of will, identity and global vision. India is asserting that it cannot be dictated to, that its decisions will be based on its own calculations, not guilt or fear. Trump's remarks, while harsh, have inadvertently offered India an opportunity to clarify and publicly affirm its foreign policy direction.
In this context, strategic autonomy is not just a catchphrase. It is the compass by which India navigates an increasingly fragmented and competitive world. And each episode of friction with the West , whether over oil, tariffs or technology, only strengthens the country's resolve to walk its own path, contributing to and benefiting from a multipolar global future. India's refusal to yield to Trump's tariffs and threats may indeed accelerate India's push for strategic autonomy and quicken the emergence of a multipolar world as other countries and blocs too assert their will.