Written by Vidheesha KuntamallaNew Delhi | October 7, 2025 05:12 AM IST 3 min readExternal Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Monday said India must become the “go-to option” for its neighbours in times of crisis, as he called for stronger regional cooperation and outreach to extended neighbourhoods to overcome the “strategic diminishing” caused by Partition.He was speaking at Jawaharlal Nehru University’s (JNU) School of International Studies (SIS). Addressing the university’s flagship Aravalli Summit, themed ‘India and the World Order: Preparing for 2047’, he said, “In our own region, we have to ourselves underwrite the infrastructure for cooperation if it is to be proofed against political volatility. This is the essence of Neighbourhood First policy.”“India has to be the go-to option in any crisis for the entire subcontinent,” he added.Story continues below this adJaishankar said India’s foreign policy must expand its horizon beyond immediate borders. “The strategic diminishing of India as a result of the Partition has to be overcome… and it has to be done by reaching out to the extended neighbourhoods. This explains the Act East, the Link West, the C5+1 and the Focus Africa initiatives.”Outlining a vision for India’s role in an “exceptionally turbulent era” marked by “mega changes” and the “weaponisation of everything,” he urged the country to “shift gears” from a defensive to a proactive posture, as it transitions toward ‘Viksit Bharat’ by the centenary of Independence.He said India’s ascent on the global stage would be propelled by three internal drivers — Demand, Demographics, and Data — and must be guided by a principle of “multi-alignment”.“Leadership must rest on the pillars of competence, credibility, values, and dharma, combining humility with conviction,” he said, calling for sustained investment in “people, ideas, and institutions” to strengthen India’s global influence.Story continues below this adThe summit, organised by SIS in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Chintan Research Foundation, marked a key event in the school’s 70th anniversary celebrations, SIS@70, commemorating its long-standing legacy in shaping India’s independent voice in world affairs.In a statement, JNU said the conference sought to harmonise “India’s modernity with its deep-rooted identity as a civilisation state,” ensuring that the country “shapes global outcomes rather than merely reacting to them”.The opening session was attended by JNU Chancellor Amb. Kanwal Sibal, Vice-Chancellor Prof Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit and Chintan Research Foundation president Sishir Priyadarshi. Prof Amitabh Mattoo, Dean of SIS, described the school’s founding as “not an accident of history, but a necessity of destiny”.A curtain-raiser documentary on the history of SIS was followed by a reflective panel chaired by Prof Pushpesh Pant, with speakers including Prof S D Muni, Prof Ashok Guha, Prof K P Vijayalakshmi, Prof Tsi Pratap Singh, and IAS officer Mugdha Sinha, who revisited the school’s formative years.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)S. Jaishankar