Current decade turbulent but India managed challenges through nimble, grounded policies: Jaishankar

Pune, Feb 26 (PTI) The current decade has been a turbulent one but India has dealt with its challenges through nimble, grounded and practical policies at home, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday.

In a recorded message at the ninth edition of Asia Economic Dialogue organised by Pune International Centre, he also said era of "linear globalisation" was over, with longstanding assumptions about the nature of international relations now under question.

"This decade has already been a turbulent one with promise of much more to come. India has dealt with its challenges through nimble, grounded and practical policies at home. These have been mirrored by a more confident and virtually beneficial approach to global negotiations," the EAM said.

Decisions of economic nature are now based more on considerations of politics and security, he said, adding that re-industrialisation is itself envisaged as a compelling strategic requirement.

Jaishankar observed that technologies, capabilities and resources are increasingly being treated as strategic assets.

"Artificial intelligence, semiconductors, data and critical minerals are no longer viewed only as drivers of growth. They are also instruments of national power," he pointed out.

Citing the "gaming of the world trading system", selective observance of rules and leveraging of market shares for non-economic purposes, he said several contemporary challenges had been in the making for the last two decades.

The Union minister said the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts and climate change had exposed the fragility of global supply chains and underlined the importance of food, health and energy security.

"Resilience has emerged as the overriding goal. Governments and businesses are asking how much they are prepared to invest to avoid excessive dependence. Such debates are now reflected in trade arrangements, investment ties and supply chain diversification efforts," he said.

For a large country like India, it was critical to engage intensively with international partners while steadily expanding its comprehensive national power, the EAM emphasised.

"Our interest lies in fostering trade, mobility, production, services, technology skills and talent partnerships," he said.

India was also enabling cooperation in critical minerals, supply chains, migration and mobility agreements and advanced manufacturing with key global players, Jaishankar added.

Referring to the recently held AI Impact Summit 2026, he said it underscored the potential of building on India's digital capabilities and talent pool to effectively diffuse artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

Jaishankar expressed confidence that the Asia Economic Dialogue would deliberate on pressing geoeconomic developments, including tariffs, technologies and strategic alignments. PTI SPK BNM