India Must Adapt To Changing Global Dynamics: Jaishankar
EAM S. Jaishankar stresses nuanced diplomacy as India navigates conflicts, economic volatility and growing global responsibilities.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday said India, with expanding global interests, wider exposure and a growing number of international partners, must “constantly apply and re-apply itself” to changing global dynamics and increasingly complex geopolitical challenges.
Addressing the inaugural session of the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) in New Delhi, Jaishankar said India’s close relations with all sides involved in the conflicts in the Gulf and Ukraine made it difficult to adopt straightforward positions.
He said “optimising strategy and responses” was often more useful than taking “black-and-white positions” while dealing with complex international situations.
“There are two major conflicts currently underway, one in the Gulf and the other in Ukraine. In each case, India has good ties with all the parties involved. Forging an approach is therefore not easy,” Jaishankar said.
He also pointed to the growing “weaponisation” of the global economy, increased tariff volatility and dumping in international markets as challenges requiring strategic responses. Competition, he said, was also taking “an extreme form” with fewer restraints and higher risks.
“What can be done to deter, to avoid, to mitigate? Clearly, much food for thought here,” he said, stressing the need for India to continuously reassess its strategy as its global role expands.
Jaishankar said diplomacy required nuance and that India could learn from the experiences of other countries while developing approaches suited to its own circumstances.
“India also has to customise. We can draw lessons from the experiences of others, but ultimately the fact is that we are unique,” he said, adding that ICWA could play an important role in facilitating debates on India’s choices and its engagement with the world.
Highlighting India’s growing international engagement, the minister said the country now interacts with a much wider range of countries and regions. Its interests have become increasingly global, while its responsibilities and the expectations placed on it have also grown.
He said India was articulating its perspectives on global challenges with greater confidence, including issues concerning the Global South.
“As India’s global role grows, our intellectual engagement with international affairs must keep pace,” Jaishankar said.
He also called for greater emphasis on an Indian perspective in international relations, saying India should increasingly draw upon its own history, experiences, interests, concepts and terminology while approaching global affairs.
Jaishankar noted ICWA’s longstanding role in studying and promoting international affairs and said its recognition by Parliament as an institution of national importance reflected its distinctive contribution to India’s intellectual engagement with the world.
He said the 25th anniversary should not only commemorate ICWA’s journey but also encourage reflection on the institution’s role in shaping debates as India’s global influence continues to grow.
