EAM Jaishankar emphasises global challenges and India's role at CII Summit

New Delhi [India], December 2 : At the CII Partnership Summit, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar outlined the complexities of today's global environment, stressing that the evolving dynamics of international relations call for stronger partnerships. In his address, he noted the strategic implications of the ongoing US-China friction and its profound impact on the global stage.
He remarked, "On top of this, economic rebalancing began to acquire strategic connotations... The US-China friction has assumed a salience that could not have been envisaged just a few years ago."
According to Jaishankar, this shift in global power relations has only been exacerbated by the ongoing Ukraine conflict, which has led to severe disruptions in food, fuel, and fertiliser supplies. He explained that, "The Ukraine conflict has created its own ripples, reflected in food, fuel and fertiliser insecurities."
EAM Jaishankar went on to highlight the challenges faced by the Global South, where countries are grappling with rising inflation, mounting debt, currency shortages, and trade volatility. "The global south is also feeling the brunt of inflation, of debt, of currency shortages, and of trade volatility," he said. These hardships, according to the External Affairs Minister, underline the necessity for more friends and strategic partners to navigate the increasingly difficult global environment. "In short, the world looks a very tough place, and tough situations call for more friends and more partners," Jaishankar concluded, urging the international community to strengthen ties in the face of these challenges.
Turning to India's role in this shifting global paradigm, EAM Jaishankar emphasised the country's growing capabilities and the importance of expanding its manufacturing sector to attract more global partnerships.
He noted, "The greater our capabilities, the broader our capacities. The more innovative our talent, the wider our skills, the more attractive we are as a partner." Highlighting the government's significant efforts, he remarked, "As this conclave would recognise clearly, the crucial challenge today is to build our manufacturing to a scale and efficiency that makes us a credible partner abroad."
Jaishankar also acknowledged the crucial role played by the government in improving infrastructure and logistics to support this growth. "On its part, the government has facilitated the process enormously by addressing long-standing challenges in respect of infrastructure and logistics," he added.