Chips, AI, and factories: Jaishankar’s blueprint to navigate unpredictable world
Jaishankar said domestic economic initiatives such as Atmanirbhar Bharat, were not merely economic policies, but "the building blocks of a foreign policy.”
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar outlined India's approach to navigating an increasingly fragmented global landscape on Saturday. He emphasized that India must make up for lost ground in traditional manufacturing while advancing in cutting-edge technologies. Jaishankar argued that domestic economic initiatives like Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India were not just economic policies, but the foundation of foreign policy.
At the 24th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in New Delhi, Jaishankar highlighted India's solid foundation over the past decade but stressed that it had missed the manufacturing bus in the past. He pointed to the 1960s-1990s as "lost decades" and noted that even the 1991-92 reforms were only a partial correction. To bridge this gap today, Jaishankar emphasized the importance of schemes like Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) in revitalizing neglected sectors and supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
He stressed that India must invest in next-generation strategic pillars, such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), and bio-life sciences, while expanding educational institutions and vocational training to prepare the workforce for an AI-driven economy. Jaishankar warned that traditional alliances would become less cohesive and more transactional, leading to sharper, self-centered competition among nations.
He argued that a strong domestic capacity is crucial for an effective foreign policy, especially in this era.
Written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
