#158: EPIC Story | The India Way

Aug 28, 2023

In 2019, MEA Sushma Swaraj expressed inability to join PM Modi's cabinet after mega win in LS elections.

There started a hunt for India's next MEA.

The funny part? Buck stopped at a former Foreign Secretary who changed Indian Foreign Policy forever

Here’s the EPIC story:

While the chair of MEA was new to him, the cabin of MEA wasn't

Metaphorically, he walked those corridors for 30+ years of his life, knowing them in & out.

He walked back from retirement with a new clarity of global eco-politics: Bazaar World Order

Bazaar World Order means:

At a recent B20 meeting, he called for re-globalization

What does this Bazaar World Order even mean?

Dr. Jaishankar finds this world selfish and uncooperative where

Competition : Norm :: Co-operation : exception

In such a world, Dr. Jaishankar recommends to "reach out in as many directions as possible & maximize gains"

The core idea here is to identify and exploit opportunities created by global contradictions

So, how shall India tread forward in such a world? He answers:

"Engage America, manage China, cultivate Europe, Reassure Russia, bring in Japan, draw neighbors in, extend neighborhood". In short, engage everyone.

(Reading this: Think of PM Modi's bonhomie with Trump/Biden while buying Russian oil, Calling Pakistan (-1) & shaking hands with Mid-east)

What are notes for #UPSC aspirants from this story?

Let's look at them from his book: 'The India Way'

I read his book.

Here are 4 Way Forward notes for GS2 IR (and PSIR) answers

1. Take more risks

• Give up 'low risk-limited rewards' approach foreign policy

• Be bolder and seek to determine agendas and outcomes

We will see this unfolding in post- #Chandrayaan3 world as India claims bolder seat at table for 'Global Governance on Space'

2. Control Narratives

As 🇮🇳 chairs G20, we have a stage to be voice of Global South.

To reassure the Global South and existing powers of our rise, India shall control narratives.

3. Strategic Deception

Learn from China which won manufacturing from the US while building a power that is now challenging the same US across the globe.

Similarly, it is important to note how Indians let China convince us about trade growth while refusing to sit for the border resolution

4. Give up on 'Panipat Mentality'

• A metaphor for how 🇮🇳 did not identify external threats and lost power to them in Panipat

Concluding:

Recognize the threats, manage the narratives, take more risks and win big, the India Way!

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