For Amitabh Kant, former CEO of NITI Aayog and India’s G20 Sherpa, the world has moved past the point of simple "geopolitical tension." We are witnessing the dismantling of the global structures that defined the last 80 years. Speaking at Ideas Of India summit, Kant outlined a stark future where traditional international bodies are failing, and trust is the only remaining currency.

The Iran Conflict: A Domino Effect for India

Kant warns that the current joint operations by the U.S. and Israel targeting Tehran are not just local skirmishes - they are designed for "regime change," a move with catastrophic economic ripples for the Global South.

"The conflict we are seeing... with the objective that there should be a regime change in Iran - there are far more severe consequences for the world. More than that, there will be a huge impact on oil prices."

For India, the stakes are measured in billions of dollars.

"You have a scenario where Russian and Iranian oil is getting choked out. For energy-dependent countries like India, who import 180 billion dollars worth of fossil fuel, there is a severe implication for us. We also have vast numbers of people living in Iran."

Collapse of Global Institutions

Kant believes the era of predictable global governance is over. The "security blanket" provided by the West after 1945 has effectively vanished, leaving the world in a state of flux.

"The period of stability post-World War 2 has come to an end. The complete irrelevance of international organizations like the United Nations, the Security Council, and much later the World Trade Organization - all seem to be irrelevant."

He points to a "complete breakdown" of global supply chains, exacerbated by aggressive trade policies like the Trump-era tariffs, as the final nail in the coffin of the old order.

A New Globalization: Built on "Trust"

When asked if the "New World Order" is now effectively lawless, Kant suggested that while the rules are changing, they aren't disappearing - they are becoming exclusive.

"Globalisation will radically alter itself into complete reliance of working with countries you trust in. You will see alliances which will be based on trust."

However, this shift toward "trusted alliances" comes with a warning for global equality.

"The challenge is that global growth and supply chain is at its lowest. If trade gets impacted, global growth will slow down. There will be a huge impact on the population of the Global South and it will create huge inequality in society."

The AI Revolution

Despite the geopolitical gloom, Kant sees Artificial Intelligence as a fundamental force for social transformation. AI must serve the "Next Billion" and not just increase the valuations of tech giants.

Kant previously noted that India provides massive amounts of data to global models; he argues India must use this to build its own indigenous models.

"AI will transform lives of people across the world."