India’s PR Crisis

Publishing date: 04 November 2025

Published in: The Nation

India’s public relations nightmare seems to worsen with each passing day. For years, its foreign policy has struggled on the diplomatic front, but recent Pakistani military successes have added a hard edge to this long-standing reality – one that neither Delhi nor the international community can easily ignore.

At the same time, India’s soft power – once a major strength supported by its vast, diverse and educated diaspora – is now under serious strain. A recent example is Canada’s rejection of nearly 73% of Indian work permit and visa applications, a sharp increase from 34% just a month earlier. This is particularly alarming given that India remains the top source of migrants seeking entry into Canada. This development is not an isolated case. A combination of rising racial animosity across North America and Europe, alongside the increasingly aggressive and chauvinistic behaviour of certain supporters of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi online, has created a toxic environment. What was once fringe hostility towards Indian culture and people is fast becoming socially acceptable.

Adding to the problem, the labour market in Western nations has become a flashpoint. Across the United States and other developed countries, companies – sometimes in collusion with placement agencies, dubious educational institutions and immigration consultancies – have hired large numbers of low-cost Indian workers. This has fuelled resentment over job competition and housing shortages, further souring public sentiment towards Indian migrants.

Caught in this perfect storm of geopolitical setbacks and sociocultural backlash, India finds itself facing one of its most challenging moments on the global stage. Its image, once buoyed by soft power and diaspora diplomacy, is now under siege from all directions.