“Consumer State vs. Strategic Partner” explores how India’s consumer-driven dependency contrasts with Pakistan’s strategic autonomy in U.S. foreign policy and regional power dynamics.
Consumer State vs. Strategic Partner: A Tale of India and Pakistan
“To be an enemy of America is dangerous, but to be a friend of America is fatal.”Henry Kissinger
This quote aptly encapsulates Pakistan’s historical experience with the United States. While Pakistan has long served as a strategic ally and client state of the U.S., it has often found itself marginalised once American objectives were fulfilled. In contrast, India has consistently enjoyed comprehensive support from the Western bloc, chiefly under American patronage, primarily to serve as a counterbalance to China.
A recent episode, preceding Pakistan’s decisive retaliatory response on May 10, highlighted this shifting geopolitical dynamic. India, backed robustly by the West (especially the U.S.), continues to benefit from its vast consumer market, which remains a magnet for global investors. At the same time, its rising military and economic clout has fostered a sense of overconfidence, particularly within the Modi administration. Prime Minister Modi increasingly sees himself as a peer among Western leaders, despite the reality that India remains a consumer, not a producer, of critical Western technologies.
In contrast, Pakistan has strategically aligned itself with China in a doctrine-based partnership that has considerably enhanced both nations’ military postures. Pakistan, notably, has made significant strides in developing indigenous defence capabilities, granting it a level of autonomy and strategic depth that India still lacks. While India’s defence systems heavily rely on imported Western technologies, Pakistan’s self-reliance has positioned it as a more adaptable and tactically advanced regional player.
The growing diplomatic gap between India and the West was underscored recently when a high-profile Indian diplomatic initiative, led by Shashi Tharoor, failed to elicit engagement from key American officials, Congress members, and the State Department. This diplomatic snub is a telling indication that India’s perceived status as a reliable partner may be wavering. The message from the West seems clear: You cannot counterbalance China if you cannot stand firm against Pakistan.
Implications for India
This geopolitical dilemma is likely to result in two key outcomes for India:
- Continued Dependency: India may seek to retain Western backing, but not as a strategic equal. Instead, it risks reverting to the role of a dependent client state.
- Delayed Autonomy: India may attempt to accelerate the development of indigenous defence technologies, but such programs will take years, if not decades, to reach maturity.
In either scenario, Pakistan presently holds the upper hand, particularly in the development of tactical weaponry suited for limited warfare. India’s ruling BJP government now faces potential domestic backlash, especially after the public acknowledgement of the downing of its fighter jets—a blow to its military credibility.
Following the false flag operation in Pahalgam, Pakistan has emerged as the victor both militarily and diplomatically. India, in stark contrast, has suffered a strategic and reputational defeat. Even France, whose Rafale fighter jets were part of the debacle, witnessed a 6% drop in the global share value of its defence manufacturer, highlighting the ripple effects of India’s miscalculations on international defence markets.
India-Pakistan Conflict: What Should You Do?
Author is an MPhil scholar in International Relations at Quaid-i-Azam University with a strong foundation in political science and a passion for diplomacy, foreign policy, and conflict resolution, geopolitics analysis and security studies.