Flying Blind: India's Quest for Global Leadership

In recent years India has repeatedly expressed its ambitions of becoming a global power - or 'jagat guru'. Yet many believe that India's economic troubles at home are far more pressing and that foreign policy aspirations can wait. But is a proactive foreign policy really a 'luxury' for India to be postponed until the economy develops; or is it in fact a prerequisite for economic growth in a globalized world? Why should the average Indian citizen care about foreign policy - and how can a proactive foreign policy help Indians become more prosperous? Scanning our ever-changing world from East to West and defining India's national interests and needs Mohamed Zeeshan passionately argues that India needs a more coherent strategy for its relations with the outside world. Through travels and debates across continents Zeeshan lays out a vision for how India can champion the cause of global good. About the Author Mohamed Zeeshan is a foreign affairs columnist consultant and the editor-in-chief ofFreedom Gazette. He has previously worked with the Indian delegation to the United Nations in New York and with Kearney the global consulting firm. As a consultant Zeeshan has advised governments across the Middle East on economic and political modernization and helped draft a multilateral declaration on cybersecurity at the 2020 G20 Summit in Riyadh. He was also involved in strategizing India's historic election to the International Court of Justice in 2017. Zeeshan is currently a staff writer forThe Diplomat and hosts a monthly Sunday column inDeccan Herald titled 'The Z Factor'. He also writes frequently for theStraits Times theSydney Morning Herald andSouth China Morning Post among other international dailies. Zeeshan holds a master's degree in international affairs from Columbia University where he edited the online edition of theColumbia Journal of International Affairs.