Economic Might: India's Path to Global Influence

Rajiv Kumar, former NITI Aayog vice-chairman, stresses the importance of a strong economy for India's global standing. He argues that greater economic growth will yield more influence in geopolitics, emphasizes the need for increased global trade share, and advocates for empowering India's private sector.

Rajiv Kumar, the former vice-chairman of NITI Aayog, has emphasized the critical role of economic growth in elevating India's global influence. Speaking at Rashtriya Raksha University, Kumar highlighted the importance of increasing India's share in global trade to command greater respect on the world stage.

According to Kumar, economic strength forms the foundation for geopolitical influence, citing China as a pertinent example where robust growth has upped its global standing. He stressed that a mere 2% share in global merchandise trade over the past 30 years is inadequate for meaningful impact and advocated for aiming at a 10% share.

Kumar further made a case for empowering India's private sector, describing it as the engine of economic growth. He also advised patience and resilience in foreign policy, particularly in India-US relations, and underscored pursuing strategic autonomy by reducing over-dependence on any single nation.