India has emerged on the world stage with new self-confidence: President Murmu

Addressing officer trainees of the Indian Foreign Service, the president said that it was going to be exciting as the officers begin their career in foreign service at a time when India has emerged on the world stage with a new self-confidence.

“The recent years have witnessed new initiatives in our bilateral and multilateral relations. In several global forums, India has made decisive interventions. India’s leadership in several fields has become unchallenged now. India also plays an important role in the developing south and as a frontline state in the fight against terrorism,” she said.

She added that India’s stronger position comes on the basis of its economic performance, among other factors. “While leading economies of the world are still trying to overcome the effects of the pandemic, India has stood up again and started to move on. As a result, India’s economy is registering one of the fastest growth rates. In fact, the global economic recovery, to an extent, rests on India.”

She said that the other reason India is standing on the world stage is its ethos. “Our relations with the rest of the world are governed by our age-old values. The Indian Foreign Service offers them a unique opportunity to project India’s proud civilization, heritage and culture, together with its developmental aspirations, to the rest of the world.”

The president said that ongoing transformations on multiple fronts offer great opportunities as well as great challenges. New technologies give hope for better healthcare, but they threaten existing business practices too. “We can use technology to reach out to those on the margins. At the same time, technology also resets the security paradigm with new threats. As a nation, we have before us a chance to reset our choices.”

She said it was amid this fast-changing world, with its opportunities and threats, the role of Indian Foreign Service Officers becomes critical – more so than ever before. Navigating through these difficult waters and ensuring the best for India and also for the world will test their intelligence.