External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar addressed the inaugural Aravalli Summit 2025 at Jawaharlal Nehru University, marking the 70th anniversary of its School of International Studies. Speaking on India's evolving global role as it approaches its centenary of independence, Jaishankar underscored India's steadfast commitment to strategic autonomy as a central pillar of its foreign policy.

Jaishankar emphasised that India’s national interest must drive its foreign policy above all else. He argued that the current global landscape, marked by volatility, turbulence, and rapid shifts in geopolitical and economic domains, demands an independent and confident diplomatic stance.

Strategic autonomy provides India the freedom to maximise opportunities and preserve its freedom of choice in international affairs, without aligning exclusively under the control of any other power.

Addressing the issue of regional dynamics and India’s neighbours, Jaishankar noted that India has multiple neighbours, some better than others, alluding indirectly to Pakistan as a difficult neighbour without naming it. He said that "hyphenation"—the tendency of third countries to link India’s decisions to its relations with difficult neighbours—remains a challenge.

Jaishankar stressed that the ideal way to combat this is "de-hyphenation," where other countries engage with India on its own merits rather than viewing it through the prism of bilateral rivalries. This de-hyphenation, according to him, requires India to outstrip competitors through superior power and capabilities, effectively changing the narrative in global diplomacy.

He candidly acknowledged the reality of difficult neighbours and stated that India cannot simply wish away such challenges but must manage them firmly while maintaining accommodation to the extent that national interest allows.

Jaishankar pointed out that the geopolitical environment is highly competitive, with nations attempting to balance or use situations for their own ends, which reinforces the need for India to be a pole of power itself rather than reactive in diplomacy.

Jaishankar also highlighted that India's multi-alignment strategy—not bloc politics—best serves the country in this multipolar, unpredictable global order.

He called for continued intellectual and institutional preparedness, urging academic institutions like JNU's School of International Studies to help shape India’s strategic narratives and diplomatic policies for the future as the country prepares for its 100th year of independence in 2047.

Summing up the mandate of strategic autonomy, Jaishankar rhetorically asked the audience to imagine a world where India did not pursue this doctrine and which country India could then fully tie its future to.

He intimated that no such country exists, reaffirming that India’s true security lies in maximising its options and safeguarding the freedom of choice in global affairs.

This vision calls for India to remain vigilant and proactive amid global disruptions like tariff volatility, concentrated manufacturing geographies, and rising anti-globalisation sentiments, ensuring that it protects sovereignty in emerging domains such as technology and information flows.

In essence, Jaishankar’s address at Aravalli Summit 2025 articulated a clear message: India's strategic autonomy is indispensable to securing its national interests in a complex, competitive world where independent decision-making and capability enhancement are key to both regional stability and global influence.

Based On ANI Report