Assessing India's vaccine diplomacy: An effective tool?

Abstract

In context of the ensuing global health crisis with the rise of the COVID-19 crisis, the international realm has been faced with a multiplicity of challenges and is experiencing a phase of transition. The relevance of the existing dominant approaches to international relations in the post-pandemic world has been subjected to questioning. State and non-state actors have adopted newer and more innovative strategies to pursue and promote their national interests in the global stage. Health diplomacy has emerged as a particularly prominent domain shaping the foreign policy strategies and diplomatic endeavours of states. In this context, this paper tries to examine India’s strategy of ‘vaccine diplomacy’ and evaluate how effective it has been for India’s political and social dynamics in the long run.