Everything today being leveraged, if not actually weaponised: EAM
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Context
In a speech at IIM Raipur, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that in the current global environment, "everything today is being leveraged, if not actually weaponized." He identified three major challenges of this decade: the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing global conflicts, and climate change. This statement gains significance against the backdrop of the West Asia conflict and its potential to create an energy crisis for India through the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz.
UPSC Perspectives
Geopolitical
EAM Jaishankar's statement highlights the concept of hybrid warfare or grey-zone conflict, where states use non-military tools to achieve strategic objectives. This moves beyond traditional warfare to include the 'weaponization' of trade, finance, data, connectivity, and even culture. The idea is that interdependence, once seen as a guarantor of peace, has become a new battleground. For India, this has several implications. First, as a rising power, India must navigate a world where economic policies of other nations can be used as coercive instruments. Second, it underscores the need for strategic autonomy—the ability to pursue national interests without being overly dependent on any single country or bloc. This philosophy guides India’s multi-aligned approach, maintaining strong ties with diverse partners like the US, Russia, and countries in West Asia simultaneously. UPSC aspirants should analyze how India can build resilience against such leveraged tactics, focusing on self-reliance (Atmanirbharta), diversifying supply chains, and strengthening its own levers of influence.
Economic
The economic dimension of 'leveraging' is critical, particularly concerning India's energy security. The article's reference to the is a prime example. This narrow waterway is a critical chokepoint through which a significant portion of India's energy imports, including crude oil and LNG, must pass. Any conflict or blockade in West Asia can weaponize this geography, disrupting supply chains, spiking oil prices, and triggering cost-push inflation in the Indian economy. This vulnerability impacts India's import bill, current account deficit, and fiscal health. The 'Three Cs'—Covid, conflict, and climate—all exacerbate this economic fragility. The pandemic exposed supply chain vulnerabilities, conflicts create energy and food price shocks, and climate change demands costly energy transitions. For Mains, questions could focus on India's strategy to de-risk its economy. This includes diversifying energy sources (e.g., procurement from Russia, Latin America), investing in renewable energy under the , building strategic petroleum reserves, and forging stronger economic partnerships like the to create alternative connectivity routes.
Governance & Foreign Policy
The EAM's statement signals a shift in India’s foreign policy formulation, moving towards a more integrated approach where domestic resilience and external strategy are deeply linked. The concept of Comprehensive National Power (CNP), which includes economic strength, technological capability, and robust infrastructure, becomes paramount. The challenges of the pandemic, for instance, showed that domestic health infrastructure and vaccine manufacturing capacity () are also foreign policy assets. The minister’s call to “hedge, to de-risk and diversify” is a direct instruction for both corporate and national policy. From a governance perspective, this requires a whole-of-government approach where ministries like External Affairs, Commerce, Defence, and Finance work in synergy. Policies like the are not just industrial policies but also strategic tools to reduce dependence on single sources like China and enhance national resilience. For UPSC, this connects to how India’s foreign policy is evolving from its non-aligned past to a more pragmatic and interest-driven approach in a multipolar world.