External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday reiterated India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy while cautioning that the global landscape is becoming increasingly volatile, competitive, and shaped by protectionist shifts. Speaking at the Aravalli Summit at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), he described the present era as one marked by the “weaponisation of everything,” citing the growing uncertainty in trade and global cooperation.
“There is rising anti-globalisation sentiment in many societies. Trade calculations are being overturned by tariff volatility,” said Jaishankar, making an indirect reference to former US President Donald Trump’s America First tariff policies. He stressed that India must remain the “go-to option” in any regional crisis, asserting that the nation’s leadership in South Asia is vital for maintaining regional and global equilibrium.
His remarks come amid heightened trade tensions following the US decision to impose steep tariffs on Indian goods, even as India navigates political instability in its neighbourhood with strained ties with Pakistan and ongoing unrest in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
“Every country faces challenges, and India must continue to rise strategically amid this volatility,” Jaishankar said. A day earlier, he had underlined that New Delhi would only pursue trade agreements with Washington if its “red lines” were respected, particularly in protecting the country’s farm and dairy sectors from unrestricted foreign imports.
Reflecting on India’s broader strategic goals, the minister added that the “strategic diminishing of India as a result of Partition has to be overcome.” Discussing global dynamics, he observed a shift from cooperation to competition, urging India to build new ideas and narratives as it moves toward its centenary year of independence in 2047.
“From India’s perspective, demand, demographics, and data are the driving forces of its rise,” Jaishankar said, according to PTI. He emphasised the importance of safeguarding national interests while contributing to an evolving global order.
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