As the world prepares to enter 2026, familiar narratives of great-power rivalry no longer fully explain how global outcomes are being shaped. Beneath the surface of bloc politics, a quieter but more consequential shift is underway.
In this Sharp Scope, geopolitical researcher Diksha Bharti examines the rise of a new generation of middle powers—India, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, the UAE, and South Korea—that are moving beyond strategic balancing to become policy-shaping actors. Through industrial policy, defence production, technology ecosystems, and control over trade and finance corridors, these states are fragmenting global influence and reshaping how power is exercised.
The Age of Middle Powers 2.0 argues that the emerging global order will be defined less by rigid alliances and more by issue-based leverage, capability-building, and strategic autonomy—a trend that will shape international politics in the years ahead.
Read the Sharp Scope in the PDF below.
As always, we look forward to your reflections. The next global order will not be announced—it will be built quietly. This piece is an attempt to map it.
Diksha Bharti is currently pursuing a Master’s program in Russian studies. She has previously worked as a Research Associate at Politika and the Consilium Research Institute. She has a keen interest in geopolitics and has contributed to several reputed platforms. Views expressed are the author’s own.
Divyanka Tandon 
Riddhik Parashar 
Archita Gaur