‘Stay on the right side of the weapon to…’: What Jaishankar has to say on dealing with weaponisation of global goods – The Times of India

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that trade and business dealings between major economies are no longer just about cost, but also comfort and trust. Speaking at the Raisina dialogue in Delhi, S Jaishankar said that non-economic factors are increasingly influencing business decisions.
Asked how he views the weaponisation of global goods like social media, telecom, Jaishankar said, “There are different ways of dealing with weaponization. One is to stay on the right side of the weapon so you don’t get hit.”
“The world today makes business decisions factoring in national security in a manner in which it did not do so. In the digital era, I think it’s not just about cost. It is about comfort. It is about trust. So if you are today looking at a strategic level, the business conversations you keep hearing, resilience, reliability, trust, transparency, so you want to do business more and more with those with whom you are secure,” Jaishankar said.

“You would rather take the risks with those where your interests are not contradictory rather than those with whom your interest could clash. Countries, in a way, need a kind of a macro business strategy,” he said.
Jaishankar added that India is involved in three big trade negotiations with the EU, the UK and the United States. “These are our growth markets. These are our technology partners. This is where people go for education. This is where people go for tourism. These are, in many ways, our connectivity partners. They are our strategic partners,” Jaishankar stressed.
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“So when we make choices, it’s no longer just efficiency and cost. I think there are non economic factors which increasingly influence business decisions,” he added.
S Jaishankar also emphasised that countries increasingly employ tariffs and sanctions to safeguard their economic interests, noting that evolving international relations have blurred the boundaries between different domains across nations.
“Tariffs, sanctions, I think, whether we would like it or not they are a reality, countries use them. In fact, if one looks at the last decade, I would say we have seen a much greater weaponization of pretty much any kind of capability or any kind of economic activity. It could be financial flows, it could be energy supplies, it could be technology,” EAM Jaishankar stated, responding to queries about India’s stance on implementing tariffs and sanctions.
His comments come at a time when the United States’ is implementing various import tariffs on goods from several countries, including India.
“This is a reality of the world. You fight for your business, because you are fighting for your employment, you are fighting for your comprehensive national power, of which business makes a very important contribution,” Jaishankar explained.
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