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Interview -Ram Divedi: India’s Strategic Ambition,The Atmanirbhar Bharat Vision
At the conference “India, a Strategic Partner for Europe,” Ram Divedi, President of the Kutniti Foundation, outlines India’s strategic ambition and the Atmanirbhar Bharat doctrine, focused on economic autonomy and industrial sovereignty.
Historically, India has been seen as a service-oriented economy. However, over the past decade, the country has strategically pivoted toward industrialisation. In 2014, the “Make in India” initiative was launched to boost domestic manufacturing and reinforce India’s industrial foundation.
The Covid-19 crisis marked a turning point in India’s economic thinking. It revealed the fragility of global supply chains and the dangers of overdependence on external actors. In response, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Atmanirbhar Bharat doctrine, which translates to “self-reliant India.”
The goal? To build full-spectrum industrial sovereignty. For each strategic sector—from raw materials to final products like semiconductors or electric vehicles—India aims to localise the entire value chain. The idea is not protectionist closure, but internal capability: whatever is consumed in India should also be produced in India, whether by domestic or foreign companies operating on Indian soil.
This model stands in contrast to Europe’s trajectory since the 1990s. Once a global manufacturing hub, Europe progressively offshored its industrial capacity to Asia. While this may have cut costs in the short term, it has undermined Europe’s technological autonomy and long-term sovereignty.
India thus emerges as a natural partner for European nations seeking to rebuild their strategic independence. Contrary to assumptions often made in Brussels, most of the world—across Asia, Latin America, and Africa—adopts a deeply sovereignist approach to globalisation. India is no exception.
In this view, sovereignty is not regression—it is the foundation of political and economic freedom. It enables nations to protect their independence and ensure their ability to act. For Indians, partnering with a sovereign Europe would be a logical and welcome step. Between two sovereignist spaces, a true civilisational partnership can emerge—based on identity, resilience, and freedom of action in a changing world.