Indian Council of World Affairs

The Indian Council of World Affairs hosted the Second ICWA Young Scholars Conference on the theme ‘India on the Rise: Foreign Policy in the Amrit Kaal’ on 11 March 2025 at Sapru House. The Conference saw the participation of young research scholars from seven universities from across India and seven universities from the National Capital Region, who came together to discuss how Indian foreign policy will contribute to the vision of a developed nation by 2047. The keynote address was delivered by Professor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, Vice Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. 

In her opening remarks, Ms. Nutan Kapoor Mahawar, Additional Secretary, ICWA highlighted that the world was at present ridden with conflicts, deep polarization and intense geopolitics and that, in the Indian mind-set, this state of the world is best captured in the phrase ‘global churn’ for it aligns with the ‘samudra manthan’ of Hindu mythology which symbolizes ‘the churn in the ocean’ or the churn between the positive and the negative forces to release amrit or nectar of life, nectar of improved living. It is for this reason that Prime Minister Modi had named the period of 25 years from now till 2047 as Amrit Kaal or the period when the nectar of life flows. It is in this period that India will strive to grow and redefine its destiny amidst the intense geopolitical churn in the world by riding on the positive and confronting and relegating into oblivion the negative. She further elaborated upon two propositions related to the rise of India viz., (i) As India rises, it will not rise alone; and; (ii) As India rises, a New World Order will emerge – the two are coterminous with each other. She said that the period of Amrit Kaal will see the emergence of new institutions and new goals in both the domestic and foreign policy arena as well as the emergence of new habits in governance and diplomacy. 

In her keynote address, Professor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, Vice Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University highlighted that, the Amrit Kaal is a vision for a transformed India. India's foreign policy during this period represents a shift towards establishing itself as a Viksit Bharat or a developed India by the centenary of its independence, and the phase is not just about domestic transformation, but about asserting India's thought leadership globally. She outlined four strategic goals that India has outlined for itself. The first is multi-alignment; the second is engagement with the Global South. Third is India’s geopolitical location near key trading points and energy routes and last, providing leadership in crisis situations by being the first responder. She highlighted that India's aspirations to be a leading power are not about dominance but about shouldering greater responsibilities in international affairs. Internal strength as a foundation for external influence, India's rising economy - technology progress, military modernisation and cultural resurgence provide the foundation for its expanded global presence. India's foreign policy is a dynamic interplay of tradition and modernity, blending its civilizational ethos with pragmatic global strategies. Describing India as a feminist civilization state, she said that, unlike the Abrahamic religions, Hindu philosophy believes that chaos leads to creativity. We do not look at the world in binaries but in concentric circles. She urged the young scholars to explore and build new narratives based on the traditions and ethos unique to India. 

The first technical session on Indian Foreign Policy and Changing Geopolitics, was chaired by Dr. Atul Mishra, Associate Professor and Head of Department, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Noida. The session had participation of speakers from the Central University of Jammu and the North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong. The speakers highlighted that the ideas such as Vishwa Guru, Vishwa Mitra and Viksit Bharat are not new to India but have found international relevance due to the geopolitical contests that have fragmented the global landscape. It was pointed that as a civilizational state, India’s culture plays a very important role in shaping its foreign policy and tradition of state-craft and governance. It was stated that India’s growing economic strength has provided it with the necessary leverage to enhance its strategic efforts and its global standing. Reformed multilateralism, which aligns with contemporary realities, is another crucial area. The need to overcome domestic contradictions to global aspirations and the need to synergize domestic and global strategies was emphasized. 

The second technical session on Indian Foreign Policy and India as a Net Security Provider was chaired by Captain (IN) Yogendra Prakash Sharma, Deputy Director, National Maritime Foundation, Delhi. The speakers in this session were from Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Manipal Academic of Higher Education, Manipal and Central University of Gujarat, Vadodra. The speakers of the session discussed the evolution of India as a "Net Security Provider" over the last decade or so, particularly in the context of the Indo-Pacific. India is positioned at the crossroads of the Indian and Pacific Oceans and has increasingly recognized its responsibility to ensure regional stability and contribute to maintaining peace and security in the region. In this context it is deepening its engagements with the island nations in the Indo-Pacific. India has made steady progress in its contributions to maritime security cooperation. India’s increasing role as a first responder in the region and its anti-piracy and anti-maritime terrorism operations were noted. India's defence collaboration with countries in the Indo-Pacific, its military-to-military ties, and initiatives such as Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiatives (IPOI) and SAGAR were elaborated upon to outline its approach to a peaceful, prosperous, and safe region. 

The third technical session on India’s Foreign Policy and Development Cooperation was chaired by Dr. Dhananjay Tripathi, Chairperson and Associate Professor Department of International Relations, South Asian Univeristy, New Delhi. The speakers in the session were from Dr. Hari Singh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar and University of Allahabad, Prayagraj. The speakers highlighted development cooperation has become a defining pillar of India’s foreign policy. India’s development cooperation has deep historical roots, dating back to ancient times, when it engaged in knowledge exchanges with its neighbours and beyond. The spread of Buddhism to Southeast Asia, trade along the Silk Route, and maritime links with Africa and the Middle East are early examples of India’s civilizational outreach. The contemporary approach of India is rooted in the principles of South-South cooperation, mutual benefit, and respect for sovereignty, India’s development partnerships prioritize capacity-building, infrastructure development, and technology transfer rather than creating economic dependencies. In the context of Africa, it was pointed that development partnership with the countries of Africa have strengthened trade and economic relations through capacity building projects and infrastructure projects, people to people ties through educational and cultural exchanges and provided a platform to address shared concerns such as on poverty alleviation and climate change mitigation. Development with Dignity was pointed out as a core objective of the Global South. 

The Conference also saw active participation of students from universities in Delhi NCR viz., Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia University, South Asian University, Ashoka University, Shiv Nadar University and Amity University.

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