External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, today, Tuesday, May 7, spoke at an event at Delhi University's Hansraj College about India's growing reputation and influence on the global stage, reports PTI. He made the remarks while speaking on the topic "Viksit Bharat @2047-The Voice of the Youth" at the event.
The minister was making reference to the rescue missions undertaken by India in order to bring back its nationals from war-torn nations like Ukraine.
Jaishankar said the world is closely watching India as it is moving away from the shackles of the past and making strides to become the world's third largest economy, states PTI.
"Right now, we are a little less than a four-trillion dollar economy. Soon we will become the third largest economy when we reach five trillion dollars. By the time we reach 'Amrit Kaal', I am confident we will build a 30-trillion dollar economy," he asserted.
The minister stated that world leaders have noticed and acknowledged India's remarkable growth over the past few years.
"Today, we are respected because of our economic performance. India's talent is present in all sectors of the world," Jaishankar said and added that the world is watching India to see how it will grow further.
In his address to students, Jaishankar emphasised that "Viksit Bharat" goes beyond being a mere slogan to inspire people. It is actually a foundation that has been established over the past decade and upon which the next 25 years of India's future will be built, reports PTI.
"The next 25 years of the 'Amrit Kaal' are your future. It is the journey towards 'Viksit Bharat', and it is you who will make this journey possible," he said.
The external affairs minister said that he sees these 25 years as "a period of opportunity and new challenge".
"This change is of the kind that we have never seen before," Jaishankar said while highlighting the developments that have taken place in the economy and the technology sector, and in India's position in the global forum.
Referring to India's management of the COVID-19 pandemic, which he termed as "once in a century challenge", Jaishankar said India outshined the world's expectations.
"When the COVID outbreak happened and world leaders met to find a way forward, they thought India will not be able to handle the situation. They had good reasons to be worried about. But the same country ended up supplying about 100 counties with vaccines," he said.
Lauding the "Digital India" initiative, Jaishankar said the country was among the few which provided digital vaccination certificates.
Additionally, he stated that India is becoming a more digitally advanced nation, with 12 billion cashless transactions in a month — more than four billion in the United States annually.
Jaishankar highlighted India's impressive technological advancements and how the country has emerged as a global leader. He specifically mentioned the success of Chandrayaan-3, which was created at a significantly lower cost than making a movie. Chandrayaan-3 was a mission to explore the South Pole of the Moon, reports PTI.
"The world today sees us as friendly but fiery. They have seen our action on challenges like terrorism whether it be 26/11 or Balakot or challenges on the China border. We took a firm stand to purchase oil from Russia for the interest of our people even when countries objected. We were firm and fair," he said.
Jaishankar further called India a "law abiding country" which delivers democracy in pace with the world.
