On March 17, 2025, India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar made a compelling case for a structured international order during the Raisina Dialogue 2025 in New Delhi. Addressing global leaders, he stated, “We need an international order, just like we need a domestic order. It’s not just big countries that benefit if there is no order.” He warned that “any country which takes risks, has extreme positions, tests the system, will use disorder to its advantage,” pointing to India’s own experiences. “We've seen in our own neighbourhood—you don’t have to be a big country to be a risky country,” he added, subtly referencing smaller neighbors like Pakistan. “We have some smaller neighbours who have done a pretty good job at that,” he remarked, highlighting how nations exploit instability to challenge larger powers.
Jaishankar’s call for order resonates amid India’s regional and global challenges. He urged, “We should all understand the importance of an order,” advocating for a reformed, fair global system to replace outdated structures. His remarks at the Dialogue, hosted by the Observer Research Foundation, reflect India’s push for stability in a multi-polar world. This stance aligns with ongoing trade talks with the US, where reciprocal tariffs loom by April 2, 2025, threatening the $191 billion bilateral trade. A potential trade deal by September 2025 could stabilize ties, but Jaishankar’s focus on disorder underscores broader stakes. His message ties India’s neighborhood risks—where smaller states wield outsized influence through chaos—to the need for a rules-based framework, ensuring both security and economic resilience in a turbulent era.
