Terming India’s rise as a stabilising force on the global stage as “neither accidental nor transient”, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said the “absolute dominance once enjoyed by a hegemon is now contested”, in an indirect reference to the US. Speaking at the Kautilya Economic Conclave, organised by the Ministry of Finance and the Institute of Economic Growth, the Finance Minister also said that sanctions, tariffs, and decoupling strategies are testing alliances that once appeared solid and creating new coalitions. These dynamics, she said, highlight vulnerability and resilience for India and the choices the country makes will determine “whether resilience becomes a foundation for leadership or merely a buffer against uncertainty”.

She also said India’s growth is “firmly an

See Full Page