Atmanirbhar Bharat: India’s Quest for Self-reliance in Post-Covid-19 World

Abstract

In 2020, the whole of the planet was engulfed by the coronavirus pandemic, which resulted in unprecedented health, social and economic crises on the world stage. The outburst of COVID-19 has caused an irreversible blow to numerous vital industries, including aviation, entertainment, tourism, and real estate, with millions of people losing their employment and small businesses failing and low foreign trade in India. To rise above the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and make India self-reliant, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the clarion call for "Atmanirbhar Bharat.” This paper examines Modi’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, rooted in India's struggle for independence and culture. This paper also discusses the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan economic stimulus package. This article analyses the “Atmanirbharta” in economic and strategic autonomy concerns of India’s foreign policy. An attempt has been made to highlight the challenges before Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan and suggests that these challenges need to be resolved immediately to make India self-reliant. The paper concludes with the idea that in the current geoeconomic and geopolitical scenario, Atmanirbhar Bharat is a way to strategic autonomous India.