New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said India is more dominant regionally and asserted that once the world used to see India and Pakistan on equal terms but now the country has emerged as the primary power in the region.
“Today a whole set of institutions, ideas and campaigns are coming out of India. Today in the world there are around 32-34 million people who are either of Indian origin or are Indians and we are playing an increasingly important role in the global world,” news agency ANI quoted EAM Jaishankar as saying in Varanasi.
The minister said that a few years back, Indians used to be in the world’s back office in terms of Information Technology (IT). However, now the people are slowly being seen as innovators.
“The world sees the talent and skill in us and the world is trying to integrate it into their businesses,” Jaishankar said.
“When the world looks at the rise of India, for them the contribution and successes of the diaspora are part of the story of the rise of India. So, we too have a responsibility, if so many Indians live abroad it's our duty to look after it, EAM Jaishankar said.
Earlier in the day, the minister inspected the Kashi Tamil Sangamam Exhibition in Banaras Hindu University (BHU) amphitheatre.
It is to be noted that the Kashi Tamil Sangamam exhibition has been attracting visitors from across the globe. It also enables the Tamil delegates to learn about the glorious journey of this historical university.
India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have become the "voice of the world", especially of the developing countries, in pushing for an end to the Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy as soon as possible, the minister said.
"The Indian government has taken the side of the well-being of Indian citizens," the external affairs minister said at the Aaj Tak Agenda programme, while replying to a question on which side New Delhi is backing.