Stories
Jaishankar and Rishi Sunak Debate Global Power and the New World Order in Delhi
- •External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak discussed India's global position and strategic autonomy at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Delhi.
- •Jaishankar rejected the label of India as a middle power, asserting it is better understood as one of the powers in the middle.
- •The discussion highlighted that the international order is evolving through issue-specific coalitions rather than collapsing into disorder.
- •Key topics included the Quad, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, supply-chain vulnerabilities, and the growing strategic significance of finance, sanctions, and the US dollar.
Key Questions Answered
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar argued that India is too large to be called a middle power given its massive population, a $4 trillion GDP, and strong growth prospects, suggesting it is better understood as one of the "powers in the middle" instead.
Jaishankar stated that the international order is evolving rather than simply collapsing, noting that the post-1945 framework is undergoing fundamental changes while countries increasingly work through issue-specific coalitions and consensus rather than unilateral pressure.
Jaishankar cautioned that the changing distribution of global influence has led to a world of "choke points," where nations increasingly tend to weaponize strategic dependencies related to finance, sanctions, banks, and supply chains.
