India Emerged as Global Leader during Pandemic

By Amb. Ashok Sajjanhar

The world had been witnessing a rapid flux in geopolitics and international relations over the past few years. These trends became much more pronounced in 2020 with the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Year 2021 witnessed the eruption of the most devastating Delta variant in March 2021, and now the world is staring at the havoc being perpetrated by the new Omicron variant.

Under these demanding circumstances, India has emerged as a global leader in many significant areas. India resolutely moved to extend a helping hand to many foreign partners to ameliorate their suffering during the pandemic. This is in keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assertion at his first Address to the UN General Assembly Session in September 2014 stating that India’s foreign policy is governed by the age-old maxim of ‘’Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’’ – The World is One Family.

Vaccine Maitri Initiative

On January 16, 2021, India began the journey of vaccinating her 1.38 billion-strong population against Covid-19. More than 90 percent of the eligible population has received the first dose and above 65 percent have got both the jabs. The booster shots are now being provided to frontline workers and vulnerable individuals above the age of 60 years. Youth between the ages of 15-18 years started receiving their first dose from January 3 this year and vaccination of children between 12-14 years is expected to start soon.

Under the ‘’Neighborhood First’’ policy of PM Modi, Bhutan and Maldives became the first countries to receive 150,000 and 100,000 vaccines followed by Bangladesh and Nepal. Though India has not yet recognized the Taliban regime in Kabul but has not hesitated to provide them with essential medicines including additional one million doses of Covid-19 vaccines.

Bhutan’s PM Lotay Tshering applauded the gesture saying, “It signifies compassion, and generosity of PM Modi, and people of India for the wellbeing of humanity.” Bangladesh Health Minister Zahid Maleque said that India had stood by Bangladesh during the Liberation War of 1971 as well as the pandemic. Nepalese PM Sher Bahadur Deuba thanked PM Modi for the generous grant at a critical time.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro thanked PM Modi with a picture of Lord Hanuman bringing the holy “Sanjeevani”. “I must confess that I did not imagine that the prayers of my country would be answered so swiftly,” said Roosevelt Skerrit Prime Minister of Dominica, after receiving the COVID19 vaccines.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres termed India’s vaccine production capacity as the “best asset” the world has to fight the pandemic. The US State Department, former US President Bill Gates, and several others spoke appreciatively of the selfless manner in which India helped several developing countries with the vaccines.

This Vaccine Maitri Initiative significantly enhanced the influence and image of the country. India’s contribution in developing, manufacturing, and using several vaccines has significantly enhanced India’s status as a rising scientific and technological power.

“Vande Bharat’’ Mission

Moreover, India launched the most ambitious evacuation plan undertaken thus far in May 2020 under the “Vande Bharat’’ Mission to transport back Indian nationals stranded in different countries due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This was necessitated on account of lockdowns and cessation of international flights by India and other countries due to the rapid spread of coronavirus. Around 50000 flights were operated which repatriated 6.7 million people to India and foreigners to their home countries abroad. In addition, the initiative “Samudra Setu’’ by the Indian navy was launched to bring back around four thousand Indians from the Gulf and neighboring countries. Such a mammoth operation conducted in a remarkably seamless way significantly enhanced the image of India.

PM Modi chaired a UNSC session on August 9, 2021. He is the first Indian Prime Minister to conduct a UNSC meeting.

Presidency of UNSC

India assumed the two-year non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on January 1, 2021, and took over as President of UNSC for August 2021. India identified maritime security, peace-keeping, and counter-terrorism as key issues for special debates during its presidency.

PM Modi decided to chair the Session on August 9, becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to conduct a UNSC meeting. Russian President Putin attended the deliberations. The last time Putin attended such a discussion was in 2005.

The month of August also witnessed the forcible assumption of power in Kabul by the Taliban. India presided over several discussions on the evolving situation and crafted Resolution 2593 which has come to represent the consensus view of the global community on actions that the Taliban must take in the governance of Afghanistan.

The competent and deft manner in which India built consensus even amongst opposing parties during its Presidency significantly added to its prestige and influence.

Climate Change

At the COP-26 Summit in Glasgow in 2021, India committed to achieving the target of net zero by 2070. This emphasizes India’s commitment to sustainable development as it achieved the target under the Paris Accord, 9 years before the due date of 2030. India, with 17 percent of the world’s population contributes merely 5 percent to the global greenhouse gas emissions. India is the only G-20 member which is meeting its commitments under the Paris Agreement. India took the lead and emerged as a leader on the crucial issue of climate change on the world forum.

India has registered significant progress in several other domains, both domestic and external, during the pandemic period. India is promoting Ease of Doing Business, minimizing government interference resulting in a booming market for startups. India today has more than 80 unicorns, the third-largest in the world, of which more than 40 were formed in 2021.

During the Corona period, when the world was focusing on interventions like Quantitative Easing Program, India paved the way for reforms. Big projects to modernize digital and physical infrastructure got unprecedented momentum during the corona period. The US$10 billion incentive plan for the chip industry is a testament to India’s commitment to making the global supply chain seamless. India is marching forward with the spirit of Make in India, Make for the world. India today presents limitless opportunities in the fields of aerospace, telecom, insurance, defense, and semiconductors.

Several other major initiatives were taken by India during this arduous period of pandemics like the launch of the Western Quad comprising of India, Israel, UAE, and the USA; strengthening of India’s ties with her neighbors, USA, Russia, and other strategic partners; reinforcing the Quad partnership; hosting the Delhi Regional Security Dialogue and the Third India-Central Asia Dialogue which brought India center-stage to developments in Afghanistan, and many more.

All these have enhanced India’s global influence and power and imbued it with hope, confidence, and determination to promote peace, security, and prosperity in the region and the world.

(Amb. Ashok Sajjanhar was the ambassador of India to Kazakhstan, Sweden, and Latvia. He also worked in diplomatic positions in Washington DC, Brussels, Moscow, Geneva, Tehran, Dhaka, and Bangkok. He is currently the president of the Institute of Global Studies, New Delhi.) Pl take with mug shot attached

Images courtesy of (Image Courtesy: The Statesman), (Image Courtesy: Indian Express) and .

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