This paper aims to explore the One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) initiative by the Government of India as more than a policy for research access – it conceptualizes ONOS as a soft power strategy that contributes to India’s global academic influence. The study draws from theories of soft power and knowledge diplomacy to frame ONOS within broader geopolitical and scholarly contexts.
Using a conceptual and comparative analysis, the paper examines ONOS alongside similar national subscription models in countries such as Germany, Egypt, South Korea and Finland. It applies Joseph Nye’s soft power framework to evaluate how ONOS may serve as a diplomatic tool in the realm of international scholarly communication.
The study finds that ONOS reflects a distinctive model of academic outreach and equity, particularly relevant to the Global South. It identifies ONOS as a potential driver of domestic research empowerment and global academic collaboration, while also noting critical challenges in sustainability and inclusivity that must be addressed to avoid replicating existing power asymmetries.
This paper offers a novel perspective by situating ONOS within the discourse of soft power and knowledge diplomacy – an angle rarely explored in existing literature. It contributes to both policy and scholarly debates by highlighting ONOS’s potential to reshape India’s academic identity globally while calling for more inclusive and strategically informed open knowledge frameworks.
