External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday emphasised India’s stance as a principled yet robust nation highlighting the country’s evolving approach towards challenges such as terrorism and border disputes.

Addressing the Viksit Bharat 2047 program at Hansraj College, Jaishankar drew a contrast between India’s past and present responses to security threats.

“The image of India is of friendly but fair… If you look at a challenge like terrorism, the world recognizes that today’s India deals with terrorism very differently…the comparison is Mumbai attacks and what happened in Uri and Balakot,” Jaishankar said.

On the border row with China, Jaishankar said, “They look at these people (India) standing up and sending the troops. They are staying firm.” He cited India’s stance on Russian oil amid pressure, saying, “India said my interests require that I buy oil and I am not hiding it… We were very open and honest about it… We were very courageous about it.”

Lauding India’s digital transformation, the minister noted the dominance in cashless transactions. “In India, we do 10-11 billion cashless transactions per month. America does 4 billion in a year, China a maximum of 20 billion,” he said, adding digitization has cut corruption through transparency.

Jaishankar envisioned India surpassing the $5 trillion economy to become the world’s third-largest by Amrit Kaal, targeting a minimum $30 trillion economy. “Please don’t think it is a slogan…It is something very serious,” he said about the Viksit Bharat initiative.

Urging the youth’s engagement, Jaishankar said, “That sense of how do we achieve, how do we prepare for this 25-year journey? That is what all of you should focus on,” inspiring collective efforts towards an advanced, prosperous India.

(Inputs from ANI)