Political leadership plays a decisive role in shaping a nation's foreign policy. The leader's ideology, vision, and priorities directly influence the formulation and implementation of foreign relations.

In India, Jawaharlal Nehru, as the first Prime Minister and Foreign Minister from 1946 to 1964, exercised profound influence in setting the national agenda. His three major objectives were to preserve hard-earned sovereignty, protect territorial integrity, and promote rapid economic development. He chose to achieve these through the strategy of non-alignment, keeping India away from military blocs during the Cold War.

However, different leaders had different approaches. Leaders like Dr. Ambedkar believed India should be more friendly with the US bloc as it claimed to be pro-democracy. Similarly, parties like the Bharatiya Jan Sangh and the Swatantra Party, being opposed to communism, wanted India to follow a pro-US foreign policy.

Despite these differences, Indian politics has been marked by a broad agreement among political parties on national integration, protection of international boundaries, and questions of national interest. Even when different parties came to power, foreign policy played only a limited role in party politics, showing continuity despite leadership changes.