3 min readMumbaiUpdated: Feb 18, 2026 02:31 AM IST
India is now engaging with its international partners from a position of strength, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday here, close on the heels of trade deal with the United States. Jaishankar pointed out that economic security is best served through stronger self-reliance and more trusted partners. This is particularly so in respect of large nations like India, he added.
India sealed a free trade agreement (FTA) with the EU last month, closely followed by the announcement of a much-awaited bilateral trade pact with America.
“From a position of strength, India is engaging international partners more intensively. This is demonstrated in recently concluded trade deals,” Jaishankar said in his address at the inaugural session of the Global Economic Cooperation conference.
The country will also be more salient in the global calculus on production, services, technology, skills and talent, he noted. Speaking about the global scenario, the foreign minister said the world has entered into a volatile and uncertain era, possibly the most turbulent in living memory, with long-standing assumptions and expectations now becoming questionable.
“From a position of strength, India is engaging international partners more intensively. This is demonstrated in recently concluded trade deals,” Jaishankar said in his address at the inaugural session of the Global Economic Cooperation conference.
The country will also be more salient in the global calculus on production, services, technology, skills and talent, he noted. Speaking about the global scenario, the foreign minister said the world has entered into a volatile and uncertain era, possibly the most turbulent in living memory, with long-standing assumptions and expectations now becoming questionable.
“The established global order is clearly changing before our very eyes. Replacements are hard to create and we appear to be headed for a long twilight zone. This will be messy, risky, unpredictable, perhaps even dangerous,” Jaishankar said.
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He highlighted six features of the current international scenario — the US is determined to re-industrialise at any cost, which is central to its tech future; China’s manufacturing and export focus continues unabated and may even expand; technology competition is intensifying and polarising; energy trade flows are being significantly redefined; new mindsets are encouraging greater risk-taking, including through military means; and, migration and even mobility are getting contentious.
“In these tumultuous times, political continuity and political stability have an even greater premium. This has allowed India to carry out bold reforms even in complicated times. In contrast, many others are today in a defensive crouch,” he said.
At present, the world is witnessing weaponisation of production, finance, leveraging of market shares and tightening of export controls. In addition, there are uncertainties on the demand side due to application of bilateral tariffs.
“We are no longer concerned just about crisis situations but day-to-day commerce as well. So the argument for de-risking across the entire spectrum, from sourcing to production and to markets, that argument is becoming more compelling by the day,” he said.