India's growing weight will ensure that the overall balance in the world order remains in favour of a rules-based order, says EAM Jaishankar
India's transformation is crucial for strengthening multipolarity in Asia and for ensuring a multipolar world, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said.
 
Delivering a comprehensive address on "India's Role in an Uncertain World" at the Nikkei Asia 2024 Future of Asia Forum virtually on Friday (May 24, 2024), EAM Jaishankar also emphasised that India's contributions were making a difference across the world. 
 
"The transformation of India is critical to strengthening multipolarity in Asia itself, a prerequisite for a multipolar world. India's growing weight will ensure that the overall balance in the world order remains in favour of freedom, openness, transparency and a rules-based order," EAM Jaishankar stated.

"Equally, its greater sense of responsibility and more contributions are also making a difference," he added. In this context, he referred to Indian naval ships currently operating in the Red Sea to protect maritime shipping and India's role as a First Responder for natural disasters across the Indian Ocean, sometimes even beyond. 
 
"Its initiatives ranging from solar energy to disaster resilience and biodiversity have been recognised across the world," he remarked.
 
'Hope and Anxiety in Equal Measure'

EAM Jaishankar began by acknowledging that the world was undergoing a flux, driven by geopolitical, geo-economic and geo-technological developments. "In the last four decades, economic and political rebalancing accelerated by globalization has been driving us towards multipolarity. Today, the global order is visibly under stress, with Asia and the Indo-Pacific very much part of this transformation," he pointed out. 
 
He added that the world was also seeing much greater risk-taking, which was visible in the conflict in Ukraine, in violence in the Middle East and the disregard for international law and agreements in Asia and the Indo-Pacific.

"This has economic facets, perhaps even more concerning," EAM Jaishankar remarked, adding that the supply chain challenge, over-concentrations stemming from globalization and the use of economic coercion by states had put a premium on resilience and redundancy. 
 
At the same time, the advent of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), electric vehicles (EVs), and green technologies "have brought both hope and anxiety in equal measure," he added.
 
'India's choices will have increasingly important consequences'

Asia, home to three of the five largest global GDPs, the 2nd largest number of developing countries, accounting for about 60% of the global population and nearly 50% of the global trade, was deeply impacted by all these trends, EAM Jaishankar noted. "But it is also an important player in it. Being at the geographical, demographic and increasingly economic centre of Asia, India's choices will have increasingly important consequences," he explained. 
 
EAM Jaishankar described India's Neighbourhood First Policy as a consultative, outcome oriented and non-reciprocal approach that has promoted regionalism by extending credit lines and grants. "They have been used for road and rail connectivity, construction of transmission lines, improving border customs infrastructure, enhancing health, education, women empowerment and making provision of essential supplies by neighbours," he pointed out. 

At the same time, India continues to focus on enhancing physical, digital and people to people connectivity across the region, augmenting trade and development, and ultimately contributing towards building a secure and stable neighbourhood, he said.
 
India's Engagement with ASEAN, Gulf, Global South
 
EAM Jaishankar said India's relationship with ASEAN was another critical aspect of its regional strategy. "ASEAN is at the heart of our Act East Policy that matured into a wider Indo-Pacific vision. We strongly support ASEAN unity, centrality and cohesion," he noted.

EAM Jaishankar also emphasized India's westward engagement with Gulf nations, which are among India's top trade, investment, and energy partners. The Indian community in the Gulf, numbering nearly 9 million, plays a significant role in these relations. The launch of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) at the G20 New Delhi Summit in 2023 exemplifies India's efforts to enhance connectivity and reduce maritime shipping risks.
 
In his address, he explained that India's extended interests include deepening ties with Central Asian states, Indian Ocean nations, and intensified engagement with Africa, particularly along the East African coastline. The International North-South Transport Corridor exemplifies India's commitment to alternative trade routes to access Eurasia and beyond.

Solidarity with the Global South is a cornerstone of India's diplomacy, as demonstrated by convening two dedicated summits in 2023 and advocating for the African Union in the G20. India's development projects in 78 countries and support for food, fuel, and fertilizer access during the Ukraine conflict underline its commitment to global cooperation. India's contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic, including vaccine supplies to 99 nations, have further strengthened its international standing, EAM Jaishankar explained.
 
Domestically, India aims to lead by example, showcasing the efficacy of democratic governance in delivering socio-economic benefits. "The Modi government's focus on digital delivery of public goods, infrastructure development, and innovation highlights India's progress. The country is building highways, railways, airports, and metros at an unprecedented pace, doubling the number of technical and medical institutions," EAM Jaishankar pointed out. 
 
India, Japan committed to enhancing stability & security 

As the major economies of Asia, India and Japan have a responsibility to enhance regional stability and security, fostering a secure, sustainable, and prosperous future for Asia.
 
He highlighted the importance of the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership in navigating the uncertainties of the world. The partnership aligns India's Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative with Japan's Free and Open Indo-Pacific Vision. Both countries share a commitment to enhancing stability and security through defence cooperation, economic partnerships, and support for international law.

The expanse of the India-Japan bilateral relationship is evident in various areas, including industrial competitiveness, clean energy, digital partnership, and semiconductor supply chains. Both nations aim to maximize these opportunities through deeper commitment and perseverance.