What Happened
- External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, speaking at the 62nd Munich Security Conference (February 13-15, 2026), stated India remains "very much wedded to strategic autonomy" amid questions about the recent India-US trade deal and its implications for India's energy imports from Russia.
- Jaishankar emphasized that strategic autonomy is "very much a part of our history and our evolution" and "cuts across the political spectrum."
- On energy imports, he noted that "oil companies in India, as in Europe, evaluate availability, costs, risks, and make decisions that they believe are in their best interests."
- He described "agenda-based coming together of countries on a regular basis" as the hallmark of Indian diplomacy for the past two decades, defending India's participation in groupings like QUAD.
- Jaishankar appeared alongside German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul at a session on India and Germany navigating global uncertainty.
Static Topic Bridges
Strategic Autonomy: From Non-Alignment to Multi-Alignment
India's foreign policy has evolved from Nehruvian Non-Alignment during the Cold War to strategic autonomy in the post-Cold War era, and further to multi-alignment in the 21st century. Non-alignment, first articulated by Nehru at the Bandung Conference (1955), aimed to keep India equidistant from US and Soviet blocs. The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), founded in 1961 at Belgrade with 25 members, has grown to 120 member states. After the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991, India shifted to strategic autonomy, meaning the flexibility to engage with all major powers while prioritizing national interests. By the 2010s, this evolved into multi-alignment, marked by simultaneous participation in QUAD, BRICS, SCO, and bilateral strategic partnerships.
- Non-Alignment Movement: Founded 1961 (Belgrade); founding leaders included Nehru, Tito, Nasser, Sukarno, Nkrumah
- Bandung Conference: 1955 (29 Asian-African nations)
- Shift to strategic autonomy formally acknowledged: November 2013 by then-EAM Salman Khurshid
- India's multi-alignment platforms: QUAD (2007/revived 2017), BRICS (2009), SCO (full member 2017), G20
Connection to this news: Jaishankar's assertions at Munich underscore that India views its trade deal with the US and engagement with multiple power blocs not as a compromise of autonomy but as an exercise of it, choosing partnerships based on national interest rather than ideological alignment.
Munich Security Conference (MSC)
The Munich Security Conference is the world's leading forum for debating international security policy. Founded in 1963 by Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin (a member of the Stauffenberg resistance circle against Hitler), it was originally called the Internationale Wehrkundebegegnung. The MSC embraces a comprehensive definition of security encompassing military, economic, environmental, and human dimensions. It provides an informal platform for heads of state, foreign and defense ministers, and security experts to engage in dialogue.
- Founded: 1963 by Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin
- Location: Hotel Bayerischer Hof, Munich, Germany (annual)
- MSC 2026 (62nd edition): February 13-15, over 1,000 participants from 115+ countries, ~60 heads of state/government
- Expanded globally from 1999 onwards to include leaders from Asia, including India
Connection to this news: India's participation at the MSC reflects its growing engagement with Euro-Atlantic security architecture and its aspiration to be seen as a net security provider, while using such platforms to articulate its independent foreign policy stance.
India's Energy Security and Diversification
India is the world's third-largest energy consumer and imports approximately 85% of its crude oil needs. Energy security has been a cornerstone of India's foreign policy, driving diversification of supply sources. India's energy imports from Russia surged significantly after 2022, with Russian crude accounting for over 35% of India's oil imports by 2024 (up from ~2% before 2022). The India-US trade framework includes provisions related to energy purchases, with India intending to purchase significant quantities of US energy products.
- India's crude oil import dependence: ~85%
- Russian crude share of India's imports: Rose from ~2% (pre-2022) to over 35% (2024)
- India's major oil suppliers: Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, UAE, US
- India-US trade deal: India intends to purchase $500 billion in US products over 5 years, including energy
Connection to this news: Jaishankar's defense of energy market decisions as commercially driven rather than strategically aligned reinforces India's position that diversifying energy sources, whether from Russia or the US, is an exercise of strategic autonomy, not a departure from it.
Key Facts & Data
- Munich Security Conference 2026: 62nd edition, February 13-15, 1,000+ participants from 115+ countries
- Non-Aligned Movement: 120 member states (largest grouping outside the UN)
- India's crude oil import dependence: ~85%
- India's simultaneous memberships: QUAD, BRICS, SCO, G20, NAM
- India-US trade framework: Reciprocal tariff reduced from 25% to 18%