India in the Twenty-First Century

Georgetown University's India Initiative hosted Salman Khurshid, former cabinet minister of the Ministry of External Affairs of India, to address the question "Does India have what it takes to tackle the obstacles to its growth, and claim its place as a major twenty-first century power?" Following his remarks, there was an interactive Q&A session with participants.

The Narendra Modi government assumed power in May 2014 promising big-ticket reforms. Despite the promises, today there are still a large number of domestic, social, and economic problems that persist. While a number of the key government reforms have been delayed by political gridlock, there is also a belief that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government does not have the appetite for major economic reforms. In addition, a number of social tensions have come to the fore.

As a current senior Congress leader, Salman Khurshid reflected on the last 18 months of the Modi government's rule and the Congress Party's role going forward. Tapping into his experience as the former external affairs minister, Khurshid analyzed Prime Minister Modi's foreign policy including the pivot to United States, India's relationship with China, engagements with Pakistan, and its 'Act East' policy. He also touched on India's new and developing foreign policy doctrine.

Salman Khurshid is a member of the Indian National Congress and previously served as the minister of external affairs.

India in the Twenty-First Century

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