European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's recent speech in New Delhi underscored the European Union’s ambition to deepen its partnership with India, citing its strategic location, trade volume, and democratic credentials. She highlighted India’s role as the “world’s largest democracy” and a “key partner for security in the Indo-Pacific.” However, her enthusiastic embrace of India overlooked a critical factor: the destabilising force of Hindutva, which, if left unaddressed, could jeopardise the very stability the EU seeks to reinforce.
By glossing over the divisive role of Hindutva, the EU risks propping up an ideology that has not only polarised India internally but has also spilled over into regional politics. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the political arm of Hindutva, has consistently leveraged nationalist rhetoric to shore up domestic support while sidelining minorities and dissenters. This exclusionary model runs counter to the inclusive and rule-based order the EU claims to uphold. In positioning India as a counterweight to China, Europe is inadvertently emboldening a political framework that has deepened communal fault lines and strained regional ties.
Von der Leyen placed considerable emphasis on India’s potential, stating, “Europe and India are natural partners in the twin green and digital transitions.” This commitment to technology-driven cooperation, while seemingly forward-looking, risks overlooking how India’s extractive economic model—bolstered by Hindutva-driven nationalism—has marginalised local communities, particularly in the ecologically sensitive Himalayas. Large-scale infrastructure projects, including hydropower initiatives and defense installations, have often sidelined indigenous populations while exacerbating tensions with neighbouring countries. The EU’s encouragement of such development under the guise of economic cooperation could end up deepening instability rather than fostering long-term sustainability.
India’s development model, particularly in the ecologically fragile Himalayas, reveals an exploitative approach that not only marginalises local communities but also heightens environmental risks for the entire region. The rapid approval of infrastructure projects, with nearly 40,000 clearances since 1980—80% of which have occurred post-2000—underscores an aggressive push for economic expansion at the expense of sustainability. The clearance of over 2 million hectares of forest land highlights the scale of environmental degradation, with biodiversity loss, soil erosion, and disrupted water cycles threatening the stability of South Asia.
Ignoring the implications of Hindutva-driven politics, environmental exploitation, and exclusionary policies could ultimately backfire, undermining the very stability and prosperity the EU aims to promote
Additionally, the EU’s willingness to turn a blind eye to Hindutva’s role in fostering regional discord could backfire. India’s recent foreign policy manoeuvres have not only escalated tensions with Pakistan and China but have also alarmed smaller South Asian nations. By endorsing India as a regional stabiliser without addressing its ideological underpinnings, the EU risks reinforcing the very asymmetries that fuel geopolitical uncertainty. Von der Leyen’s assertion that “India is a key partner in ensuring security in the Indo-Pacific” appears particularly short-sighted in this context, as India’s aggressive posturing under Hindutva-driven policies has often led to heightened border tensions and diplomatic rifts rather than fostering a truly cooperative regional framework.
Moreover, by shoring up India’s defense capabilities through increased technological cooperation, the EU is inadvertently enabling a militarisation that does not necessarily align with peace-building efforts. While von der Leyen praised “India’s commitment to democracy and international law,” she failed to acknowledge how Hindutva-driven politics have systematically eroded democratic norms, from curbing press freedoms to silencing opposition voices. The EU, in its eagerness to secure an ally against China, appears willing to overlook the erosion of the very democratic values it claims to champion.
The EU's historical commitment to sustainability and human rights clashes with its current approach to India. Von der Leyen reflected on Europe's post-war reconstruction, emphasising how the continent “chose to come together” to avoid repeating past mistakes. Yet, by aligning with India’s unchecked development policies, the EU risks entrenching regional inequalities and environmental vulnerabilities. The approval process for Indian infrastructure projects, with a 65% acceptance rate even in ecologically sensitive areas, indicates that environmental safeguards serve more as procedural formalities than genuine barriers to unsustainable expansion.
The parallels between Hindutva’s historical trajectory and its current geopolitical ambitions are stark. During British rule, Hindutva forces exploited colonial security concerns to secure economic and political concessions, ultimately helping to shape a partition plan that gave India a strategic upper hand in the region. Today, a similar pattern is emerging, with Hindutva ideologues leveraging global anxieties about China to extract trade benefits and diplomatic backing from Western allies. The EU’s failure to account for this historical continuity in its strategic calculus could have long-term repercussions for regional stability.
If the EU genuinely seeks a stable partnership, it must re-evaluate its stance on India. Ignoring the implications of Hindutva-driven politics, environmental exploitation, and exclusionary policies could ultimately backfire, undermining the very stability and prosperity the EU aims to promote. Instead of merely reinforcing India’s geopolitical aspirations, the EU should leverage its influence to encourage inclusive governance, stronger environmental protections, and a regional approach to security that prioritises cooperation over confrontation. Without a balanced approach that acknowledges and mitigates the risks of Hindutva, the EU’s strategic partnership with India may end up undermining the very stability it seeks to promote.