In a pointed response to Trump’s tariff tantrums, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday asserted that India can’t remain a passive spectator in a world where decisions elsewhere determine its destinies. She emphasised that India’s rise as a stabilising force is neither accidental nor transient.

Addressing the 4 th edition of the Kautilya Economic Conclave, Sitharaman said history teaches that crises often precede renewal. “The fragmentation we see today may give rise to more sustainable and unforeseen forms of cooperation. The challenge is to ensure that inclusive principles shape cooperation,” she said.

She further stressed that for developing countries, this is a necessity, not just a romantic aspiration. “We cannot afford to be passive spectators in a world where decisions e

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