All Things Policy India's Grand Strategy Towards Pakistan
Oct 10, 2025
Aishwaria Sonavane, a researcher in Pakistan Studies at the Takshashila Institution, provides an insightful analysis of India's grand strategy toward Pakistan. She discusses the continuity of India's approach since the 1990s, focusing on limiting Pakistan's ability to disrupt India's growth. Key points include the economic reforms boosting defense spending, tactical military responses, and framing Pakistan's military-jihadi complex. Aishwaria highlights the importance of backchannels for crisis management and the challenges posed by Pakistan's resilient military posture.
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Outreach To Pakistan's Sponsors
- India pursued outreach to Pakistan's traditional sponsors like the US and Saudi Arabia to undercut Islamabad's support networks.
- Strengthening bilateral ties with these states reduced Pakistan's diplomatic leverage.
Multi-Layered Kashmir Integration
- India combined constitutional, security, and local engagement measures to integrate Jammu and Kashmir.
- Actions ranged from back-channel talks with separatists to the revocation of Article 370 in 2019.
Diplomatic Pressure And FATF Leverage
- India has successfully pushed Pakistan's links to terror onto international platforms, gaining diplomatic leverage.
- Actions like FATF greylisting and global pressure imposed reputational and financial costs on Pakistan.