Democracy has emerged as a new buzzword in the conduct of international politics after the end of the Cold War. With the beginning of the new millennium, promotion of democracy all over the world acquired an organisational force in the form of ‘Community of Democracies’ (CD) established in June 2000 at the initiative, largely of the US, in Poland. India joined CD as a founding member along with more than 100 other countries. The CD members expressed their ‘determination to work together to promote and strengthen democracy’ which was defined as a system where, besides other things, ‘will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government’. Subsequently, India also joined the UN Democracy Fund announced by the UN Secretary General in July 2005 and committed financial resources to the promotion and protection of democracy at the global level.

This was a significant shift in India's foreign policy, as hitherto, India had not joined any international effort aimed at promoting and strengthening democracy as the desirable political system in any country. India has been a democracy from the very beginning of its independence from the British. In fact, the British experience committed India's struggle for independence to democratic values and institutions. India had also preferred democratic order over any other political system in any country as an ideological option and even played a critical role on some occasions in helping democratic forces.