‘India today is a different India, now able to seek its own solutions’: S Jaishankar

India has left a deeper mark on world consciousness, he noted (File)

New Delhi:

Speaking about the changing global perception of India, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the world now believes India can “find its own solutions”.

He said India defends consumer interests, energy choices and national security, stressing that “India today is different.”

In his speech, Jaishankar, who was awarded the title of Reformer of the Year at the ET Awards 2023, said: “Today, when the world thinks of India, what the world actually sees is a country that is able to seek its own solutions and speak its own voice. The idea of ​​a nation that will stand up and defend our consumer interests in terms of energy choices, defend national security as we deploy on our northern borders and stay in the Quad. So it’s a different India today that I can’t describe How proud to represent India abroad.”

Jaishankar noted that India has left a deeper mark on world consciousness over the past few years. He said the world has seen how India has responded to challenges like the Covid-19 pandemic and shipped vaccines and other life-saving medicines to 100 countries around the world under the Vaccine Maitri programme, even as India grapples with public health issues in the country Emergency backyard.

Highlighting India’s global reach, Jaishankar said: “There is no doubt that over the past few years, we have left a deeper imprint on the world’s consciousness. When they think of India today, if people talk about challenges, they look at to how we respond to challenges.” Dealing with the Covid situation, how we through Vaccine Maitri became a supplier of vaccines to 100 countries around the world. They document how we care for our citizens overseas. It could be Operation Ganga, Operation Kaveri or Operation Ajay. Or it could be “We have carried out the ‘Vande Bharat’ mission during COVID-19. Today, they see what we have achieved in overseas projects, exports have increased. Of course, they have also noticed the huge progress that India itself is making .”

Speaking at the event, the Indian External Affairs Minister spoke about the booming Indian economy, saying: “They (the world) are seeing today that the Indian economy is growing at 8% despite facing huge global headwinds. The fifth largest The economy was 11th (or even 11th) ten years ago. Hopefully it will be 3rd soon.”

Jaishankar said that even after getting rid of the epidemic, the world continues to face different challenges such as the conflict in Ukraine, the conflict in Gaza and the maritime issues in the Red Sea.

“There are other problems, some within our borders and some outside our borders. So the world is not without its challenges,” he said.

Mr. Jaishankar emphasized that the world is “full of opportunities”, “We are used to thinking about global markets. Global workplaces are emerging. Global technology places are emerging. New opportunities are emerging.” Boarding the manufacturing bus, which in earlier years we might have missed. But to do all this, we need leadership, we need vision, we need the collective commitment of a nation. If we do all of this, I have every confidence that my successor will be able to represent our country abroad more effectively and proudly than I have. “

Previously, on March 7, EAM said that India is building its main eastern and western corridors, which once completed, will connect the Atlantic to the Pacific through Asia. On March 7, Jaishankar was speaking at the Resina Roundtable organized by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in Tokyo and talked about the major corridors that India is currently working on.

“India is currently building major east-west corridors. These include the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) initiative and the International North-South Transport Corridor through the Arabian Peninsula, as well as the Trilateral Expressway in Southeast Asia and Chennai The Vladivostok route also has polar implications…When completed, these corridors will connect the Atlantic to the Pacific through Asia,” he said.

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