Jalandhar, August 6

Mr Deepak Vohra, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister of Lesotho and Guinea-Bissau today said that India was acquiring new assertiveness amid emerging political, economic, social and attitudinal megatrends in a fast shaping world order. Mr Vohra, who was addressing faculty and students of DAV University, Jalandhar during a lecture on Global Megatrends Viewed in Indian Context, said that India was set to play a pivotal role in international arena. The programme was organized by Anubhav Club of DAV University.

"The second best thing after being a God is the fact that we were are born in India and it is the biggest advantage," he said. The gross domestic product (GDP) of India would quadruple by the year 2020. The world order was likely to change in coming 30 years. Even International Monetary Fund (IMF) had predicted that India would grow faster than China, he added.

Mr Deepak Vohra addressing faculty and students
at DAV University, Jalandhar

Economic and international political power were shifting as there was a moderation of military balance. “Violent Islam has been at war with itself and rest” based on the memories of past and present exploitation, Mr Vohra said. "Asia has crossed ageing North America and Europe combined in terms of global power based upon GDP, population size, military spending and technological investment.”

Talking about Indian economy, he said that India's debt to GDP ratio was incredibly low (less than 10 per cent) in comparison to many European nations including Greece, Italy, Portugal, Belgium and Ireland. “It is a positive sign,” he said. Quoting French Historian, Alfred Sauvy, Vohra said that Europe would become "a society of old people, living in old houses, ruminating about old ideas."

Each major world power had been undergoing deep internal economic readjustment. The US had been transitioning to an energy and innovation driven economy while China was looking up to domestic source of future growth in consumption. 

"India is preoccupied with building infrastructure, urbanization and industrialization," he added. He said that sentiment in India was "anti-immigration, anti-EU and anti-austerity."  Even the US President Barack Obama and US secretary of State, Hillary Clinton had acknowledged that India was set to outcompete their country because of economic growth. 

The US would cease to become a destination for solution to every problem in the world. He said that military equations were changing as asymmetric warfare became widespread. US-trained militaries collapsed before determined insurgents in Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq, Congo, Nigeria and South Sudan. India's civilizational power had grown and the world had been tapping their feet on the beats of Punjabi Bhangra.

Mr Deepak Vohra was welcomed by Dr K K Rattu, Director Media and Head of Department of Journalism who described Mr Vohra as a statesman and a refined human being.

Mr Deepak Vohra addressing faculty and students at DAV University, Jalandhar

Ends