From Aspiration to Sovereignty — India’s Test After Operation Sindoor
"There are decades when weeks happen, and there are weeks when decades happen."
Thanks to Trump 2.0, this quote has never felt more true.
For India specifically, the pace accelerated dramatically after Operation Sindoor in May 2025.
That conflict, and the bonhomie between USA and Pakistan post that, forced India to reassess its alignment.
While the Ukraine war first raised the question of sovereignty with Russian oil, the May 2025 conflict with Pakistan showed that a new "America First" foreign policy would not automatically align with India's interests.
In this new environment, India's actions are a clear message:
Energy Security: The continued purchase of discounted Russian oil isn't just an economic decision—it is a statement of strategic autonomy, a hedge against a world where old alliances can't be taken for granted.
Maritime Power: Investment in the Great Nicobar Project and offshore oil exploration in the Andamans is more than about energy; it’s about building the pillars of a self-reliant maritime power.
Indigenous Tech: The push for semiconductors, Tejas, jet engines, and advanced shipbuilding is now less of a parallel bet and more of a strategic imperative.
If India is to truly be a "don" on the world stage, it cannot rely on others for its most critical technology.
By 2029, the general election year, the results of these bets will be a verdict.
It will be a verdict on whether:
• The Andaman oil discovery can be capitalized upon for a commercially viable output.
• Our indigenous jet engine has moved from prototypes to production readiness.
• The new semiconductor fabs have scaled up to produce advanced chips on a substantial scale.
And ultimately, a verdict on whether India has truly moved from aspiration to sovereignty and can sustain its independence in a new, unpredictable world order.
What do you think will be the most significant test of that sovereignty in the coming years?
India Geopolitics Sovereignty OperationSindoor ForeignPolicy Defense StrategicAutonomy Military GlobalPolitics
Maritime Power: Investment in the Great Nicobar Project and offshore oil exploration in the Andamans is more than about energy; it’s about building the pillars of a self-reliant maritime power.
Indigenous Tech: The push for semiconductors, Tejas, jet engines, and advanced shipbuilding is now less of a parallel bet and more of a strategic imperative.
If India is to truly be a "don" on the world stage, it cannot rely on others for its most critical technology.
By 2029, the general election year, the results of these bets will be a verdict.
It will be a verdict on whether:
• The Andaman oil discovery can be capitalized upon for a commercially viable output.
• Our indigenous jet engine has moved from prototypes to production readiness.
• The new semiconductor fabs have scaled up to produce advanced chips on a substantial scale.
And ultimately, a verdict on whether India has truly moved from aspiration to sovereignty and can sustain its independence in a new, unpredictable world order.
What do you think will be the most significant test of that sovereignty in the coming years?
India Geopolitics Sovereignty OperationSindoor ForeignPolicy Defense StrategicAutonomy Military GlobalPolitics
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