India in the ‘Asian Century’

The rise of two Asian powerhouses in world politics has prompted the current century to be dubbed as ‘The Asian Century’. This chapter investigates the concept of hegemony in this emerging global order, especially focusing on the role of India in this new configuration. The postcolonial state of India has faced a different dynamic of multiple hegemonies and struggle of counter-hegemonies, often intersecting with one another, both in contestation and collaboration. India's historical experiences with colonial rule and the intricacies of postcolonial state formation provide a different perspective to understand the hegemonic contestations among various elite groups and counter-hegemonic resistance. The rapidly changing global order enables a postcolonial rupture that challenges existing Eurocentric approaches to international relations and presents some promising opportunities to the Indian state. The chapter explores India's track record in the global community in challenging the existing hegemonic order. It highlights how India with its specific experiences with multiple hegemonies could participate in imagining an alternative framing of the global order.