Published Online:July 2026
Product Name:The IUP Journal of International Relations
Product Type:Article
Product Code:IJIR030726
DOI:10.71329/IUPJIR/2026.20.3.39-60
Author Name:Km Pushpa Rani
Availability:YES
Subject/Domain:Arts and Humanities
Download Format:PDF
Pages:39-60
India and Indonesia share an ancient civilizational linkage shaped by centuries of cultural exchange, maritime trade and religious diffusion, leaving an indelible mark on Indonesian art, architecture, language and society as a whole. In the patently visible imprints of Indian epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata in Javanese and Balinese cultures, the story of India still holds relevance in Indonesian society as well as in political arena. In the contemporary Indo-Pacific landscape, this shared heritage is significantly viewed through the lens of ‘soft-power’ diplomacy. The paper examines the role of India’s cultural influence, with a focus on the aforementioned epics and monumental heritage sites, as a non-coercive tool for strengthening bilateral trust between these two old civilizations. Further, moving beyond the historical descriptions, the study identifies a ‘utilization gap’ where India’s deep cultural goodwill is often overshadowed by the material and infrastructure-led statecraft of competing regional powers like China. While discussing the cooperation between the two countries in the fields of science and technology, more specifically space technology and national security, the paper argues that memories of civilizational imprints must be integrated into institutional frameworks and diplomatic policies to achieve long-term shared goals. Ultimately, the study suggests that for soft power policies to be effective, it must transition from symbolic invocation to practical and developmental collaboration.
In the current international political system, the traditional metrics of state power have transcended from military hardware and are increasingly supplemented by the strategic application of ‘soft power’.