EAM S. Jaishankar launches book “Why Bharat Matters” at Raisina Dialogue Conference 2024

Raisina Dialogue Conference 2024, The Raisina Dialogue is India’s flagship conference on geopolitics and geo-economics, committed to addressing the most challenging issues facing the international community. 2.​​​ The 9th edition of the Raisina Dialogue held from 21-23 February 2024.

Recently, 9th edition of the Raisina Dialogue 2024 was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is the chief guest of this year’s conference.

Theme of Raisina Dialogue 2024

Raisina Dialogue is an annual conference, takes place in New Delhi and is attended by people from political, business, media, and civil society backgrounds. The Dialogue is structured as a multi-stakeholder, cross-sectoral discussion, involving heads of state, cabinet ministers and local government officials, who are joined by thought leaders from the private sector, media and academia.

Source: twitter.com/DrSJaishankar

Raisina Dialogue Conference 2024 Theme: Chaturanga: Conflict, Contest, Cooperate, Create.

Over 2500 participants from about 115 countries joined the Dialogue in-person, and the proceedings will be viewed by millions across the world on various digital platforms.

Important to understand “Why Bharat Matters” at Raisina Dialogue Conference 2024

In his recent address at Raisina Dialogue 2024, India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, unveiled a compelling message: understanding India’s trajectory is crucial, not just for Indians, but for the global community.


His book, “Why Bharat Matters,” serves as a powerful call to action, urging readers to recognize India’s ascent as a major player on the world stage. While speaking at the Raisina Dialogue 2024, Jaishankar said on February 23 “whether you’re an Indian national or someone living abroad, it’s important to understand why Bharat matters, because it will be bigger in everybody’s lives in the coming decade and the coming century,” as quoted by ANI.

, “I wrote the book because I was really convinced it was important to present an argument today why,” he further added.

“I think it’s obviously about the state of the world, the longer trend of rebalancing, but the shocks that I’ve referred to, it’s about globalization, the advances of globalization, but also the shortcomings, and problems created by globalization. It’s about technology and digital and how, again, they hold such great promise, but they have made us in many ways so vulnerable,” he added, as quoted by ANI.

Source: twitter.com/DrSJaishankar

Moreover, he emphasised that his book “Why Bharat Matters” is about why foreign policy matters to everyone.

“It’s about telling people not involved in foreign policy why foreign policy matters to you. Because for many years, certainly in my country…a lot of people said, that’s not our problem. Somebody is taking care of it,” he said.

Jaishankar further illustrated the relevance of foreign policy through his personal experiences. He described traveling across India and encountering the direct impact of global events on ordinary lives. He cited the COVID-19 pandemic, a seemingly distant issue initially, as something that “invaded homes” and disrupted lives. Similarly, the conflict in Ukraine, though geographically distant, had tangible consequences like “energy hikes, price hikes, and food shortages,” highlighting the interconnectedness of the world. These personal anecdotes served as powerful reminders of how foreign policy decisions reverberate far beyond the halls of government, directly affecting individuals and communities around the globe.

Moving further to his second book, “The India Way,” EAM Jaishankar highlighted that his first book was about the way, and the second is about India’s significance in people’s lives.

Source: twitter.com/DrSJaishankar

“The first one was about the way, the second is about India’s significance in people’s lives.”

He further said that he used the word Bharat in the second book, “Why Bharat Matters” as opposed to “The India Way” because “I’m trying to capture, a kind of transformation that has taken place in our society, in our polity, in our mindset, in our approach to the world.”

Moreover, he said, “If we look at the thought processes that are driving us today, they are much more authentic. They are much more deeply rooted in our culture, in our traditions, in our heritage.”

Source: twitter.com/DrSJaishankar

What is Raisina Dialogue?

Raisina Dialogue, an annual conference held in New Delhi, India, since 2016. The Raisina Dialogue is a multilateral conference committed to addressing the most challenging issues facing the global community. The name “Raisina Dialogue” is derived from Raisina Hill, a location in New Delhi that is the seat of the Government of India and the Presidential Palace, Rashtrapati Bhavan.

It has become a flagship event for India’s foreign policy and aims to explore strategies for dealing with the current and emerging global challenges. The conference brings together heads of states, foreign ministers, policymakers, and intellectuals from various countries to engage in discussions and debates on a wide range of geopolitical, economic, and social issues. The Raisina Dialogue provides a platform for countries to exchange ideas, collaborate, and build partnerships to address shared challenges and achieve common goals.

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