Online published on 10 October, 2016.
Soft power has become an indispensable component of a country's power and influence today. It has emerged as a new requisite of present day geopolitics, more so for rising powers like India and China. The two nations possess abundant soft power resources, as both have their cuisines, cultures, economic attractiveness, entertainment industries, spiritualities and technological advancements along with widespread and influential Diasporas. India and China have been competing to increase their influence in South Asia by using soft power among other means as an instrument of power politics. Chinese efforts through its One Belt One Road initiative and India's sustained efforts to remain a crucial partner in the national development of Afghanistan are examples of competition between the two Asian giants.
