New Delhi [India], September 24 : Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and BJP leader Hardeep Singh Puri has attributed India's ascent in the latest Asia Power Index to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visionary leadership and global strategy and said that India's rise is an outcome of aggressive diplomatic strategy and bold ambitions to reshape the country's place in the world.
The Sydney-based Lowy Institute's 2024 Asia Power Index has placed India as the third most powerful nation in Asia, behind only the United States and China.
"India's rise is no accident," Puri asserted. "This is the direct result of Prime Minister Modi's aggressive diplomatic strategy and his bold ambitions to reshape India's place in the world. Without his leadership, India would still be languishing behind, but today, we see a nation on the verge of superpower status," Puri said, according to a release on NaMo app.
The report highlights India's remarkable improvement in various categories, particularly in Diplomatic Influence, which surged due to PM Modi's increased international engagements. Puri highlighted Prime Minister Modi's direct involvement.
"It's PM Modi's tireless effort on the world stage that has put India back on the map. He's taken India's nonalignment policy and transformed it into a powerful tool for gaining leverage in global diplomacy," said Puri, a former diplomat who served as India's Permanent Representative at UN.
In a direct critique of previous leadership, the Union Minister took aim at Congress, pointing out how "the country was left rudderless by previous government's indecisive and directionless approach".
"They said Indian economy will be third largest by 2043 and PM Modi is guaranteeing it will be so in his third term itself. IMF has, in fact, recently forecast that India will be the third largest economy by 2027. Under their leadership, India would never have made it to the top three on any power index," said Puri, who is also an author.
"While China's power is plateauing, India is on the rise, and it's clear who we have to thank for that," he added.
The Lowy Institute report notes India's significant gains in Economic Capability, Diplomatic Activity, and Future Resources, signalling a demographic dividend that could fuel its continued rise.
"While countries like China are aging and facing a slowdown, India, under PM Modi, has the resources and the leadership to take the throne as the new kingmaker of Asia," Puri said.
He concluded with a challenge to critics. "Those who question Modi's impact on India's rise need only look at the facts. India's trajectory is up, and the world can no longer ignore it," Puri asserted.
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