New Delhi::
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said India has to build “deep national strength” to become a leading power and the country’s goals and ambitions cannot be determined by the goodwill of others.
In a virtual address at the Asia Economic Dialogue held in Pune, he said the vision of the Narendra Modi government and its programs over the last decade are aimed at building national strength.
Mr Jaishankar said, “As the most populous country which will be the third largest economy by the end of the decade, our goals and ambitions cannot be determined by the goodwill of others.”
“We must build deep national strength during the ‘Amrit Kaal’ that will drive the transition to a developed economy and a leading power,” he said.
“This is the vision of the Modi government and our initiatives and programs over the last decade are aimed at this,” he said.
The minister also discussed various geopolitical challenges facing the world.
He said, “There is a supply-chain challenge that arises from a particular economic hardwiring created by the globalization era. Be it finished products, intermediates or components, the world is dependent on a dangerously limited number of suppliers.”
“How to introduce greater flexibility and reliability is central to de-risking the global economy today. We all need more choices and must work to create them,” he said.
Jaishankar identified the second challenge as technology.
“The digital age has given it a completely different meaning because it is so intrusive. It is not just our interests that are at stake but often our most personal decisions and choices,” he said.
“Such an era demands greater trust and transparency. But in reality, where technology providers are concerned, we are seeing the reverse,” he said.
The minister also talked about “unpredictability and opaqueness”, referring to globalisation.
He said, “The third challenge is the challenge of hyper-concentration arising from the nature of globalization. They are increased by unpredictability and opaqueness. We discovered this most sharply during the Covid period.”
He added, “But from time to time, we are also reminded of what happens when market dominance is weaponized. For the Global South, this is particularly grave given the extent of dependency.”
Shri Jaishankar said that these three events come together particularly effectively in the context of the development of critical and emerging technologies.
He said, “To create a more safe, secure and cooperative world, we clearly need greater international cooperation. Only that can help reduce unilateral demands, economic dominance or technology claims.”
“For India, this means moving forward on a broader front in areas that contribute to broader national strength. This requires a massive upgrade of our skill base,” he said.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Follow us on Google news ,Twitter , and Join Whatsapp Group of thelocalreport.in
