India’s national security landscape in 2026 has hardened as instability grows across its borders and beyond. Renewed U.S. protectionism and its proximity to Pakistan under Donald Trump unsettles long-held assumptions about crisis restraint on India’s western front. China continues to compress India’s strategic space through calibrated pressure along the Line of Actual Control and an expanding naval presence across the Indian Ocean. The spectre of instability in India’s east, brought about by the violence and the rapid spread of disorder in Bangladesh, only adds to these complications. In addition, China’s leverage and control over critical minerals and rare earths, which are indispensable for missiles, electronics, and aerospace platforms, have emerged as a critical concern. All this unfolds within an increasingly multipolar world where power, not norms, dictates outcomes.
This edition of National Security Dialogue, therefore, will explore the choices available to India to protect its sovereignty, deter coercion, and preserve strategic autonomy under sustained pressure.
Questions leading the discussion:
