Ambassador Rao on India's Role in the World

In an event sponsored by the Kennedy Political Union, the South Asian Student Association, and the American University Club Council, Nirupama Rao, the Indian ambassador to the United States, quite comprehensively discussed how the uniqueness and diversity of India affect its developing role in the world. The ambassador touched upon the topics of economics, energy independence, food security, health care, terrorism, and their relationships with other states like the US, Pakistan, and China. Her discussion was expansive and only briefly touched upon each topic, but the clarity and eloquence of Ambassador Rao provided for an informative talk.

When Ambassador Rao first took the stage, first she stated that she believed she should set the scene for India’s role in the world by first illustrating the current state of the world. According to Rao, there has been unprecedented change in the world based on the expansion of technology and globalization. This has led to enhanced productivity and higher life standards. People are now closer and can come in contact with each other instantly. However, this development of technology has presented serious challenges in the world. One challenge is that the benefits and harms of technology are uneven in financial and environmental terms. Another challenge, as the ambassador insightfully pointed out, is that increased connectedness leads to increased vulnerability. Pirates and terrorists have capitalized on this, and thus have added to world conflict. But to respond to this, Rao believes that countries can collectively rise to meet the challenge.

With this, Ambassador Rao segued into India’s role, illustrating what it can contribute to the world. Her first topic was India’s economy, to which she said that India has been a very unique model of development. It is a model of democracy, and its economy holds promise in that role. The economic growth of India has lifted millions of its citizens out of poverty, thus increasing the presence of a middle class within the country. For India, its foremost task is maintaining this economic growth. Ambassador Rao stated that in order to do this, the country understands that they must not look inward, but outward to relations with other countries. She insisted that the global community should look at India and understand that the benefits of its growth would also register worldwide, as it can be adapted to other developing countries in the world.

Next Ambassador Rao spoke about the topic of energy and climate change. She asserted India’s ambition to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions twenty to twenty-five percent by relying on alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, and nuclear energy, as well as clean coal. The ambassador also offered a glimpse into the international work India has done for energy and climate change. India has established a joint center for research on energy, and has also participated in climate change summits.

With that, the ambassador transitioned into discussing the food security of India. According to Rao, India is currently self-sufficient, but still needs to improve. Some ways India has been making improvements in farming is by India’s Innovation Stimulus, in which innovations in technology are being developed to assist farmers. One example Rao provided of this is the provision of cheap cell phones to help directly connect farmers to one another (for more examples, here’s a link to a particularly interesting NY times opinion piece on the stimulus: http://nyti.ms/scmYhj). Another way Rao illustrated India’s food security is in the country’s provision of food to others, such as the establishment of an India-Africa food processing center.

The next topic for discussion on Ambassador Rao’s list was health care in India. She stated that India’s generic drugs companies were leading the world, with India now having the largest new drugs pipelines in generic companies. India has also been working with the US in ensuring the health of the population by collaborating with the US’s National Institutes of Health. Also, India has been seeking to prevent pandemics by focusing on the work of global disease controls centers.

With that, Rao continued on to speak about the heated topic of peace and security. She reminded the audience that terrorism is a major threat in India, and the country has been evaluating how to best address this. India has been making regional efforts to decrease terrorism, such as aiding in the development of Afghanistan institutions. Rao also insisted that a powerful method of decreasing terrorism is to eliminate perpetrators and their safe havens, and that the fight against terrorism must and will be long term.

Next, Ambassador Rao delved into the specific international politics of India, and discussed the country’s current relationship with the US and India’s geographical neighbors. The relationship the country has with the US is of great value, according to Rao. The two states help forge global consensus, and their collaborative partnership is based on shared economic interests and shared democratic values. Rao then paraphrased Obama, pronouncing the partnership of US and India as one of the defining partnerships of the twenty-first century. As for India’s neighbors of Pakistan and China, Rao began by informing the audience that India is in a “complex neighborhood”. She would not delve into their current relations with Pakistan. With China, the ambassador conceded that there has been peace between the two countries for four decades, but India is concerned about China’s military expansion and strong nationalism. She acknowledged that engagement is necessary, and that there may not be solution without confrontation.

For her closing statements, Ambassador Rao spoke of India’s great diversity. She illustrated India as a mosaic that incorporates a thousand years worth of diverse cultures. Rao affirmed that every one of these cultures has a place and voice in India. Because India is composed of so many cultures and voices, ultimately it provides India with strength as a country. Finally, she encouraged the linkages between students and India to continue, stating, “India encapsulates many worlds and multiple universes. It may take a lifetime to understand India, but now is the time to begin.”

Overall, this presentation by Ambassador Rao was enlightening on many levels. It is difficult to imagine a clearer and more comprehensive illustration of the state of India and its role in the world. Ambassador Rao’s elonquence, extensive knowledge, and pride for India most certainly made this an event worth attending.