Raipur (Chhattisgarh), April 4: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar commended the Indian Institute of Management Raipur for its rapid progress after attending the institute’s 15th annual convocation on Saturday. Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, he said the event went well and noted that IIM Raipur ‘has made a name for itself.’ He added that he had interacted with many students who attended the convocation. Addressing the graduating class, Jaishankar placed the institute’s achievements in a broader national and global context. He observed that India has navigated recent global turbulence — including the West Asian conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war — and has managed domestic and external challenges effectively. Urging strategic caution, he argued that in a shifting global order countries must hedge, de-risk and diversify to protect their interests, noting that resources and new capacities are increasingly used as leverage. Jaishankar described today’s international environment as structurally turbulent, with visible shifts in relative power and influence among states. He pointed to technological advances, energy and military developments, improved connectivity and competition for resources as drivers of greater risk-taking, saying many levers are being weaponised. That volatility, he said, makes hedging and diversification important both for business strategy and foreign policy. On the domestic front, Jaishankar highlighted an underlying optimism in Indian society that he said is lacking in many places elsewhere. He credited the past decade’s progress for building confidence that the next decade can be even better, noting India’s position among the world’s top five economies. Praising ‘inclusive growth, representative politics and decisive leadership,’ he called for strengthening national capabilities to realize the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. He also highlighted India’s purposeful adoption of digital technology as a distinguishing factor and spoke of an emerging ‘can-do’ spirit. The minister’s remarks followed interactions with students and faculty at the convocation ceremony.
