External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said at IIM Raipur's convocation that everything today is being leveraged, if not weaponised. He highlighted Covid pandemic, conflicts and climate change as major challenges of the decade. India has solidly dealt with recent global shocks.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed the 15th convocation ceremony of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Raipur on Saturday, stating that "everything today is being leveraged, if not actually weaponised."
He identified three standout challenges of the decade: the Covid pandemic, conflicts and climate change. Jaishankar said, "No one can dispute the multiple global shocks that have recently tested our resilience and that India has come through that solidly. We have managed both domestic and external challenges fairly successfully."
On conflicts, he noted their profound impact on even distant societies, testifying to deep globalisation. The remark assumes significance amid India's exposure to the West Asia war and looming energy crisis from the Strait of Hormuz closure.
Jaishankar stressed building robust national capabilities as the most effective way to de-risk and develop leverage, amid shifts in global order, technology, energy and military capabilities.