Crouching tiger: India, a revisionist power in the making?

With the conclusion of the Quad Leaders' and the BRICS Summits in September and October 2024 respectively, questions regarding India's role in the Quad and in the wider Indo-Pacific region has again come up. In this particular instance, however, the tenor of the questions being posed is somewhat different given the position that India has taken vis-& agrave;-vis the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War and its continued military and economic relations with Russia. This has caused much consternation both in the US and in Europe. This article argues that India's posture and actions may be read as being reflective of an emergent 'muscular' foreign policy that is increasingly assertive and revisionist in nature and character. This is evidenced by some of the public statements that its high-ranking officials have been making recently. It is also significant that this is taking place in the context of a deliberate foregrounding of India's cultural heritage. When taken together, a faint, yet unmistakable, picture emerges of a country that is setting up the foundations for a larger and more impactful, albeit differently imagined, role than what is currently assigned to it.