Even as India’s G20 presidency has gathered pace, there are signs that the Ukraine war is reaching a flashpoint, with Moscow preparing for a fresh offensive to mark the first anniversary of its invasion.
Their established ties rest on a foundation of common values and goals.
The celebration by India and France of 25 years of their strategic partnership (January 26) presents an important opportunity for both to introspect on their relations. Signed in 1998, the time-tested strategic partnership has continued to gain momentum over shared values and aspirations of peace, stability and, most importantly, their desire for strategic autonomy.
After years of talking about a new Cold War, the world got to see its one glimpse a few days back when a Chinese spy balloon floated in American airspace, only to be blown to smithereens, but not before leaving enormous debris in its wake. There are, of course, the remains of the balloon that the US agencies will be studying carefully. But it also led to the demise of some nascent optimism about a possible détente between the two major global powers. It was great spectacle for sure, but more than that, it was a testament to these trying times in global politics when nothing really is what it seems.
As we celebrate the seventh decade of our Republic, there are many achievements that India can be proud of. Today, the world looks at India with a new sense of anticipation as we emerge as one of the fastest-growing major economies. New Delhi is today seen as capable and willing to shape global outcomes and shoulder greater responsibilities in a world facing a leadership vacuum. There are challenges, but the optimism that radiates from India is a galvanizing force at a time when a fractured and polarised world has few bright spots.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) 2023 at Davos that got over recently was conspicuous in underlining the influence of geopolitics on contemporary global economic trends. Though this high-profile annual gathering in a Swiss resort is ostensibly aimed at reiterating the conventional economic wisdom on the need to further the agenda of economic globalization, there has been a distinct shift in the global mood over the last few years and there is no likelihood that things are going to return to “end of history" euphoria any time soon.
Budget made for capital expenditure must increase if India is to keep pace with China's rising military might. India’s tumultuous and volatile strategic environment showed no signs of abating in intensity. New Delhi continues to face a two-front challenge from both of its primary foes, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Pakistan, notwithstanding the latter’s recent conciliatory overtures, which are only a smokescreen to tide over its dire economic vulnerabilities.