Siddhi Wadekar, a Ph.D student working under the supervision of Dr. Aakansha Natani, gave an online presentation of their research paper on Data Diplomacy: The New Frontier of India’s Digital Strategic Outlook at the 9th Annual South Asia Conference. The paper was presented as part of Panel 29: “Challenges to Sovereignty”, which focused on the geopolitics of digital sovereignty. The conference was organised by the DCU Ireland India Institute and held in Dublin, Ireland, from 13 to 15 April. 

Here is the summary of the paper as explained by the authors:

The paper critically enquires into the evolution and strategic relevance of data diplomacy in India’s foreign policy. It does so by exploring the complex interconnections of India’s data diplomacy with domestic factors such as internal regulatory capacity, level of technological and economic development, constitutional provisions and principles espoused in the domestic data regulatory discourses that influence foreign policy choices, especially in global south economies. The paper then explores the data diplomacy strategies employed by India and locates within them, the areas of cooperation, adjustments and tensions. The paper further builds upon the complex and layered approaches in India’s data diplomacy and how they shape its narratives to cater to India’s regional and global aspirations.

April 2026