Jaishankar on multipolar world: Don't ignore problems, don't panic
India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar just spoke at the Kautilya Economic Conclave 2025, calling out how the world is shifting to "multipolarity"—basically, more countries sharing influence—and it's not a smooth ride.
He warned against pretending problems don't exist or panicking about worst-case scenarios.
For him, tech (especially AI) is now central to global politics.
India needs to toughen up
Jaishankar explained that as power spreads across more countries, things get complicated.
India needs to toughen up—think better manufacturing, stronger infrastructure, and smarter partnerships—to handle new challenges like trade disputes with the US.
He also pointed out that technology and AI are changing how countries compete and even fight wars.
Adapt and lead with tech smarts
With "contactless wars" and economic relationships being used as weapons, Jaishankar said India must stay active in global talks but keep its independence.
He reassured everyone that groups like QUAD are still strong and that India's working on fair trade deals with the UK, EU, and US.
His message: be realistic about challenges but don't expect disaster—adapt and lead with tech smarts.