The Honourable External Affairs Minister of India, Dr. S. Jaishankar, is on a visit to Ireland on the 6th and 7th of March, 2025. On the first day of his visit to the island nation, the Minister spent time visiting the General Post Office, Book of Kells, met the President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins . He also met the former Prime Minister of Ireland Leo Varadkar and government representatives. In the evening , the EAM spoke at the University College of Dublin on ‘India’s view on the world”. This was followed by the community meeting with the Indian diaspora which took place at the Scientology Centre. The Honourable Minister focused on showcasing the significant transformations and advancements happening in India, emphasising the nation’s growing capabilities, resilience, and global responsibility. The speech instilled a sense of pride in the audience, encouraging them to act as ambassadors for India and promote a positive understanding of the country to the Ireland friends and colleagues.

1. The Strength of Indian Democracy:

The Honourable External Affairs Minister began by highlighting the fundamental strength and acceptance of democratic processes in India, even with its inherent disagreements and transitions of power.

“Whoever wins the great thing about our country is people have accepted and you’ll get very hot arguments but what will happen is from time to time the opposition parties will complain and then the opposition will win an election then they’ll feel very happy till the next election where they may or may not win it.”

2. Digital Transformation & Technological Advancement:

A major focus is the rapid adoption of technology across various sectors, especially in government services and financial transactions.

“The second is actually the embrace of technology in India… I’m sure with each visit you will discover that more people take their phones for shopping rather than their wallets.”

The Minister cited examples like passport renewals, income tax filing, driving licenses, and other government services, highlighting how digitisation has significantly improved efficiency and accessibility.

“Even tomorrow if any of you have to renew your passport. Look how the faster that passport renewal happens because there is a database… almost every service today which is rendered by the embassy, again it is moving that much faster.”

He urged the audience to share this digital transformation story with others, emphasising India’s leadership in IT prowess.

3. Infrastructure Development:

Dr. S. Jaishankar spoke about the massive scale of infrastructure development occurring in India, particularly in transportation.

“I think today I could probably say without fear of contradiction that the greatest amount of new infrastructure being built anywhere in the world today is probably in India.”

He cited the dramatic increase in the number of airports (75 new airports in 10 years), the rapid construction of highways (30 kilometers per day), and railway tracks (12-14 kilometers per day). He encouraged the audience to personally reflect on improvements in travel experiences when visiting India.

4. Resilience and Ability to Rise to Challenges:

The Minister emphasised India’s ability to overcome significant challenges, pointing to the COVID-19 pandemic and border tensions with China as key examples.

“For a country which was predicted to be actually the biggest headache for the world, We ended up actually as one of the largest vaccine suppliers.”

He described how India transitioned from being perceived as a potential epicentre of the pandemic to becoming a major supplier of medicines and vaccines to the world. He also highlighted India’s firm stance during the border conflict with China and its support for neighbouring countries during the Ukraine crisis.

“So this willingness to take responsibility, this ability to rise to challenge, this is a kind of a different India with a much stronger will power and spirit and that is something that all of you who today are living abroad but whose heart and mind is so much in India, it is something that you should all appreciate.”

5. Growing Global Responsibility and Influence:

The Minister highlighted how India is becoming a more responsible and influential global player, willing to stand by other nations in need. He added the example of India’s support for Sri Lanka during its economic crisis, and India’s role in advocating for the African Union’s inclusion in the G20.

“Our stepping in at that time I think actually turned Sri Lanka around… we are today seen as a country on whom the region can depend.”

Dr.S. Jaishankar emphasised India’s commitment to its citizens abroad, assuring them of government support in times of need.

“We want today Indians going abroad, whether they are tourists, whether they are student, whether they are professionals, whether they are people who live abroad to have that confidence that the government thinks about you. The government has your back. If you are in a jam, we are there.”

6. The “Can-Do” Spirit and Focus on Innovation:

The Honourable Minister observed a growing “can-do” attitude, particularly among young people in India, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. He noted that universities are increasingly recognizing students based on their patents and inventions, rather than just academic marks.

“when I look today at any event which involves innovation, which involves invention, which involves patents, in fact I find even in universities lot of university take you to introduce you to students not by the marks that they’ve got but actually by the patents that they have got and I think that’s a very interesting , you know mindset change today in India”.

He expressed confidence that India will be a leader in 6G technology.

7. Cultural Pride and National Identity:

The speaker highlights the importance of preserving and promoting Indian culture, heritage, and traditions. He connects this cultural pride to the broader vision of a “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India) and emphasizes India’s unique position as a 5,000-year-old civilization.

“I would say the same about us , that for us today when we say international day of yoga or we speak about the benefits of ayurveda, when we display different aspects of our culture, our language, our heritage, I think all of this today is also part of imprinting India much more deeply in the consciousness of the world.”

Overall Message:

The speech inspired pride and confidence in the Indian diaspora. It aims to showcase India’s remarkable progress across various sectors, highlighting its resilience, technological advancements, and growing global influence. The honourable Minister seeks to mobilize the audience as ambassadors for India, encouraging them to share these positive stories and promote a deeper understanding and appreciation of the nation’s transformation.

• The Minister took time to answer few questions from the audience as well which touched upon a varied topics including Start-ups, Artificial Intelligence, Ireland as a Gateway for EU business, Indian Culture, etc.

Q. “So where India is thriving ecosystem in startup with one of the largest unicorn creator score 700 last year. And Ireland as the technical for research and development how do India and Ireland as a nation take steps towards deeper collaboration with the startup ecosystem research.”

The Minister replied “Look at what Ireland has done in economic terms and technology terms and positioning itself becoming a research hub getting global companies, it’s definitely something that you know which need to be looked at very very seriously. So the more we are able to do link up corporate, we are able to link up startups. We are very keen now that foreign universities set up collaborative or stand-alone campuses in India…Ireland has a very strong education system.”

(You can read more on the possible India Ireland Startup synergies here)

Q. “Ireland is seen as the gateway to the European Union trade and India is on the part of digitisation. So how do country government to the business market accessibility .”

Minister’s answer touched upon the discussions around the Free Trade Agreement. He added “The moment economy like India actually has a FTA with Europe, there’s going to be a big spike, big increase in economic activity. Indian companies will be looking actually for locations. And historically, people used to go to UK in many ways, you know, for various reasons, language, history, whatever. Now, with that out of the equation, they will be looking at locations. And I think it is conceivable actually, and again, that is some point which has come up in my discussion, you know, what is the play that Ireland can actually make here to attract Indian businesses and also serve because it is one of the more business friendly members of the EU.”

Q. “Diplomacy is generally seen as an art of neutrality till now but in your regime diplomacy is all about national interest. So, first of all, thank you for putting India on the fore front. We do really feel, we do really feel much safer and much prouder in your national interest first.”

“Neutrality usually happen either you are too weak or under confident. So you say look they fight continue don’t involve me, I am neutral in this fight, or neutrality can happen where you frankly don’t care. Today, we have the confidence to look at different players, different situation and do what is good for the country but also try to do what is good for the world. I think the mood in India is a very, very confident one… It is so visible in the persona of the Prime Minister that today when people look at the Prime Minister in different settings, hear him, that feeling is there that you know here is a person who carries our hopes who in essence carries our trust, that has judgment his understanding his confidence.”

Q. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its Implications: India’s approach to AI development and deployment

India aims to be a balanced player in the AI landscape, acknowledging different AI models (state-led, privacy-centered, etc.). The government is keen on leveraging AI to improve governance and accelerate economic growth, while being mindful of the potential consequences and the need for oversight. The Minister mentioned “My sense is just like the digital has enabled the quality of governance to go up very sharply. We are very hopeful that actually the AI era would allow the economy to be fast and one. We would like to be among the people to get the balance right that you don’t worry about the consequences of technology to the point of cycling it, but at the same time, you are respectful about or sensitive to the different aspects of it, so that it’s not completely left unsupervised and unchecked. There is already AI growth and safety debate going on in the world.”

Q. The landscape of India, the return to the civilisational roots of India, the awakening that this government has brought about in the last 10 years is very good. But the biggest challenge for all of us NRIs here is how to pass down our culture and civilisation to our children.

“The most influence on younger generations comes from schools and friends. In many cases it is actually the community which has been the driver of the Indian Knowledge [Systems]. He cited examples of similar community-driven initiatives like temples, dance academies, and teacher training to strengthen cultural connections done by Indian diaspora in other countries. ” responded the Minister.

Conclusion:

Dr. Jaishankar’s visit to Ireland appears to be focused on strengthening bilateral relations across various sectors, including economics, technology, and education. The Honourable Minister highlighted that the bilateral trade was at €16 Billion annum in 2023. The emphasis on India’s assertive foreign policy and its role in a multipolar world is also evident. Furthermore, the discussion highlights the importance of community-driven efforts to preserve Indian culture and heritage among the diaspora. The Indian diaspora have done significant work in various fields in Ireland. As highlighted by the Honourable Ambassador, Akhilesh Mishra, Indians play a crucial role in the healthcare segment, contribute to the tech sector with an amazing tech talent pool which also makes them one of highest earners in the country. Indian women in Ireland have emerged as the highest median weekly earners in the country. So overall it is a great time to build on this launch pad and stay future focused with support from the government.

(images: used from the public domain)