Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - A farkon 1971, zaɓen da aka yi a Pakistan ya sa Pakistan ta Gabas ta bayyana 'yancin kai a matsayin Bangladesh. Tsanantawa da tashin hankali da sojojin Pakistan suka yi ya sa 'yan gudun hijira miliyan 10 suka tsallaka iyaka zuwa Indiya a cikin watanni masu zuwa. Daga karshe a watan Disambar 1971, Gandhi ya shiga tsakani kai tsaye a rikicin
don 'yantar da Bangladesh. Indiya ta fito da nasara a sakamakon rikici don zama ikon mallaka na Kudancin Asiya. Indiya ta sanya hannu kan wata yarjejeniya tare da Tarayyar Soviet da ke alƙawarin taimakon juna a yayin yaƙi, yayin da Pakistan ta sami goyon baya daga Amurka a lokacin rikicin. Shugaban Amurka Richard Nixon ba ya son Gandhi da kansa, yana nufin ta a matsayin "mai sihiri" da "mai hankali fox" a cikin sadarwa ta sirri tare da Sakataren Harkokin Wajen Henry Kissinger. Daga baya Nixon ya rubuta game da yaƙin: "[Gandhi] ya yaudari [Amurka]. Ya yaudare mu... wannan matar ta yaudare mu. " Dangantaka da Amurka ya zama mai nisa kamar yadda Gandhi ya ci gaba da dangantaka da Soviet Union bayan yakin. Na biyun ya girma ya zama babban abokin cinikin Indiya kuma babban mai samar da makamai don yawancin firaministan Gandhi. Sabuwar matsayin da Indiya ke da shi kamar yadda aka bayyana a ƙarƙashin "Indira Doctrine" ya haifar da ƙoƙari don kawo jihohin Himalayan a ƙarƙashin tasirin Indiya. Nepal da Bhutan sun kasance tare da Indiya, yayin da a cikin 1975, bayan shekaru da yawa na gina tallafi, Gandhi ya haɗa Sikkim cikin Indiya, bayan wani raba gardama wanda yawancin Sikkimese suka zaɓa don shiga Indiya. China ta la'anci wannan a matsayin "aikin ƙyama".