Everything today being leveraged, if not actually weaponised: Jaishankar on changing global order

The global order is changing with visible shifts in relative power and influence of countries, and the turbulence in the world is currently structural in many ways, he said.

“The politics of some societies find it difficult to come to terms with these changes. New developments in technology, in energy, in military capabilities, in connectivity and in resources have encouraged risk taking in an increasingly competitive environment. Everything today is being leveraged, if not actually weaponised,” said the minister.

The world is then confronted with the task of securing itself in an increasingly volatile and unpredictable environment. This has necessitated a larger inclination to hedge, to de-risk and to diversify, whether it is a business choice or a foreign policy one, Jaishankar said, adding, “Arriving at an optimal mix of equities, exposure and risks is a far more complex calculus as a result.”

On India’s approach towards facing these challenges, the minister said, “Good preparation, sound judgement and clear goals are the basics of diplomacy as much as they are of business. Negotiation skills may be honed through practice, but are nevertheless built on the ability to gauge the mindset of the other party. How to address difficult situations with complicated options – this is understandably the real test.”

He said when presented with competing choices, the yardstick for decision making must be firmly fixed on one’s core interest. Harmonising, prioritising and managing choices then naturally fall into place. “I can tell you that if ‘India First’ is your compass, the direction will always be clear. That also enables the confident exercise of preferences where required. Even the preparatory work for such endeavors is worth thinking about. Maximizing decisional space is a prerequisite that should become like a second nature for all of us,” said the minister.

Jaishankar said the graduating class at the event must count itself as fortunate because it is destined to achieve the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat’.

“For all these anxieties, it must nevertheless be appreciated that the prospects of those graduating today in India are far brighter than before. In fact, there is an optimism in our society that is lacking in many other parts of the world. Now you could ask, why is that? Perhaps, because the last 10 years have been much better, giving rise to the confidence that the next 10 and those beyond will also be. We are after all now among the top five economies. No one can dispute that the multiple global shocks recently have tested our resilience and that India has come through that solidly. We have managed both domestic and external challenges fairly successfully,” he said.