Supply chains new borders, technology the new territory, data the new diplomacy, says Nirupama Rao

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The satellite is entering an epoch of re-globalisation—one built not connected retreat but connected diversification, trusted partnerships and shock-resistant systems, said erstwhile Foreign Secretary of India Nirupama Rao astatine the 52nd Foundation Day celebrations of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) connected Wednesday. Delivering the Foundation Day lecture connected ‘Beyond Borders: Preparing for a World successful Transition’, Ms. Rao outlined the shifts reshaping planetary politics, economics and leadership. 

“The vocabulary of planetary affairs has shifted. Geopolitics contiguous is nary longer astir territory and unit alone. Supply chains are the caller borders, exertion the caller territory, information the caller diplomacy, clime the caller struggle enactment and communicative is the caller battleground. In short, geo-economics present determines firm destiny,” she said. 

Ms. Rao said this translation represents re-globalisation, not de-globalisation, with the satellite reorganising itself for resilience. “The world’s operating strategy is moving toward multipolarity, and powerfulness is nary longer stored successful 1 superior oregon expressed done 1 model. India has been pivotal successful this shift, and that is wherefore India’s presidency of the G20 mattered,” she added.  

She described India’s strengths specified arsenic antiauthoritarian stability, demographic vitality, integer inclusion, and a deepening manufacturing basal arsenic the instauration for the country’s increasing planetary role. Elaborating further connected what enactment successful this caller property requires, Ms. Rao identified the “capitals of tomorrow” -- trust, data, demographic, clime and taste superior and said India has strengths crossed each five. She underlined the request for integrity and accountability, peculiarly successful an epoch dominated by technological disruption.

“Leadership successful exertion indispensable beryllium ethical. We indispensable truthful pb not lone successful AI improvement but successful AI governance - transparent, accountable, and human-centred. Technology indispensable service humanity, not regenerate it,” she said, adding that morals should spell beyond compliance. 

On clime change, Ms. Rao called it a determinant of some economical destiny and nationalist security. “The clime sermon indispensable determination from guilt to work and from pledges to execution. Sustainability indispensable go the connection of business, not lone of policy.” 

Reiterating that India is acceptable to signifier the planetary agenda, she added, “India is nary longer waiting to beryllium invited to the table, India wants to co-author the script.” She urged IIMB and different higher acquisition institutions to spell beyond teaching problem-solving and alternatively cultivate future-building. The satellite needs leaders who are economically intelligent and geopolitically aware, data-driven and human-centred, anchored successful purpose. The property of single-discipline enactment is past, this is the property of integrated leadership, she said. 

The Foundation Day celebrations besides included the Alumni Service Awards (ASA), instituted successful 2023 to honour graduates who person made enduring contributions to the institute and alumni ecosystem. This year’s awardees were Navin Kumar (PGP 1999), Karan Bhagat (PGP 2001), and Michael Sequeira (PGP 2010). 

Published - October 29, 2025 06:49 p.m. IST

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