Indian policymakerslike to assert that there is a broad consensus across political parties onforeign and security policy issues. The fracas over the U.S.-India nuclear deal,however, has made it clear that, today, the Indian political scene standsdivided on fundamental foreign policy choices. Perhaps for the first time inIndia’s history, foreign policy differences between various politicalformations seem as stark as they are today and the debate on the confidencemotion in the Parliament has done nothing to bridge that divide. While theIndian government has now made its move and its victory in the Parliament hasgiven it the political momentum necessary to carry the deal to its logicalconclusion, the dithering that stalled the treaty for so long in New Delhi hasalready done much damage to India’s credibility as a serious interlocutor onforeign policy issues. Put simply, for all its robust economic growth over thepast several years, India is not yet ready for the status of a major globalplayer. A cacophony in domestic politics may be a sign of a healthy, vibrantdemocracy but in foreign affairs it is making India look like a nation that isyet to make up its mind about the role it sees for itself on the global plane.As India now moves towards the culmination of its nuclear pact with the US,Brand India stands diminished with serious doubts about the nation’s abilityto leverage the present economic and strategic opportunities to its advantage.The momentum of history may be on India’s side for the time being, but if thepresent drift in policymaking continues, India will soon lose all its luster asa rising power.