India's response to globalisation critical:Jaishankar

Singapore, Dec 4 (UNI) India's response to globalisation will obviously be very critical to its future prospects, Indian High Commissioner to Singapore S Jaishankar today said.

''Where India is concerned, we could now be in the process of shedding our status as victims of globalisation and reclaiming our heritage as its drivers,'' Dr Jaishankar said at the Singapore Press Club luncheon talk.

The self-selecting nature of the Indian diaspora and engaging the world in areas of strengths rather than weaknesses marks this new phase, he told the gathering of some 250 editors and journalists attending the talk titled 'Why India Will Matter More'.

''Global India is today a universal phenomenon,'' Dr Jaishankar said.

It is no accident that the intiation of economic reforms in 1991 was paralleled by the Look East Policy, that was aimed at reaching out to South East Asia.

''Sixteen years later, India's appetite for international relations has only grown further as global engagements yield results,'' he said, adding that ''our participation extends from an expanded SAARC, ARF, East Asia Summit and Asia-Europe Meetings to initiatives involving Indian Ocean RIM Countries, India-Brazil South Africa trilateral, India-Russia-China trilateral, and West African engagement called Team 9.'' He also pointed out that India's bilateral foreign policy interactions with major powers have been reconstructed so as to serve more directly the needs of the country's national development.

Dr Jaishankar highlighted India's growing capabilities, greater self-assurance, its own value, experiences, beliefs and practices as well as pursuing intensive global engagements.

''India can help decide whether globalisation can be different from Americanisation,'' he said, adding that India has made an impact on world patterns of production and employment, which will grow with time.

''Sixteen years of reform and six Governments later, the constituency for change has expanded beyond all expectations. When one-sixth of the world changes, that itself matters more,'' he stressed.

UNI