New Delhi: In a forthright address that subtly skewered US President Donald Trump’s protectionist policies, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday urged India to fortify its “Neighbourhood First” strategy amid a world teetering on the brink of chaos.
Speaking at the Aravali Summit on ‘India and the World Order: Preparing for 2047’ at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, Jaishankar painted a grim picture of global flux, where “every item is being turned into a weapon,” alluding to the escalating tariff volatility disrupting trade norms.
With anti-globalisation sentiments surging across societies, Jaishankar highlighted how traditional economic equations are crumbling under erratic duties — a veiled nod to America’s recent hefty levies on Indian exports, straining bilateral ties. “The world is undergoing massive shifts and intensifying competition,” he cautioned, stressing that India must emerge as the “go-to option” in South Asia during crises, mending the strategic scars from Partition.
India’s neighbourhood, he noted, remains perilously fragile: fraught relations with Pakistan persist, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal grapple with political upheavals and protests. To counter this, Jaishankar advocated positioning India within a robust strategic bloc to uphold global equilibrium. On US trade pacts, he drew a firm line: deals are welcome, but not at the cost of unrestricted foreign access to sensitive agriculture and dairy sectors — India’s non-negotiable “red lines”.
Looking to 2047, Jaishankar envisioned India’s ascent powered by demand, demographics, and data. “We must craft our own ideas, vocabulary, and narratives to lead the global order,” he asserted, calling for resilient policies to navigate instability.
Jaishankar’s blueprint signals India’s resolve, prioritising regional solidarity over concessions, as Trump’s “America First” rhetoric reverberates.