‘Atmanirbharta’ key to navigating global uncertainty, says EAM S Jaishankar
At a tourism industry conclave, the External Affairs Minister highlights India’s resilience, heritage, and self-reliance as pillars for facing global turbulence and boosting economic growth.
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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on August 13 said the world is going through a “volatile and uncertain era” shaped by the successive impact of the Covid pandemic, multiple conflicts and “trade upheavals”, and stressed that atmanirbharta (self-reliance) is the mindset needed to deal with “global turbulence”.
Speaking at a conclave hosted by the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality, Jaishankar said, “We are definitely living in a volatile and uncertain era, having experienced the successive impact of the Covid pandemic, of multiple conflicts, many of which are still going on, and of trade upheavals.”
His remarks came in the backdrop of the US imposing an additional 25% tariff on all Indian imports, taking the total to 50% effective August 27.
According to a PTI report, the minister noted that nations with strong domestic demand have weathered global challenges better.
“The value of stronger tourism in such a situation is hard to overstate. After all, it has so many dimensions, including infrastructure development, entrepreneurship, creativity, skills enhancement, or job generation,” he said, adding that tourism energises the economy and multiplies employment.
Referring to the event’s theme - ‘Invincible Spirit of India’, Jaishankar underlined India’s cultural resilience. “We are a civilisational state, a state, a society that has withstood the tests of time, and nurtured its culture, traditions and heritage. Our real strengths have been our people. Our people and their self-belief. We have overcome adversities and we have addressed multiple challenges in the journey towards progress and prosperity,” he said.
He pointed out that in recent years, India has made “sustained efforts” to make its heritage more visible to the world, including securing multiple UNESCO World Heritage site inscriptions. “We have so much to be proud of and so much to share with the world,” he said, invoking India’s ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and Atithi Devo Bhava.
“Atmanirbharta is, of course, the mindset to deal with global turbulence. But it is also the basis to strengthen our self-confidence, to increase our resilience, and to lay the foundation for Viksit Bharat,” he added.
Jaishankar also stressed that tourism connects nations in ways diplomacy cannot. “Your industry helps to prepare a global workforce at a time when international mobility is becoming more common... Every action in this sector helps enhance brand India,” he said.
Recalling India’s G20 presidency in 2023, the minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi ensured every state got a chance to showcase itself by hosting conferences near heritage sites and scenic landscapes. “Every state rose to the occasion and put their best foot forward… we say G20 connected India to the world, and equally the world to India,” he said.
Recently, Former G20 Sherpa and ex-NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant also shared that India can counter the impact of proposed 50% US tariffs by aggressively boosting its tourism sector. Kant said travel and tourism can “more than compensate” for the losses from such trade barriers while also creating millions of jobs.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring in radical reforms across sectors, make India more competitive, and use tourism as a growth engine,” he said, citing World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that the industry could create 63 million jobs.
