This is going to be an age of flux, confident we will rise to challenges: Jaishankar

This is going to be an age of flux for the world, with conflicts and tariff volatility making it turbulent, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Monday (October 5, 2026), underlining that responding to the challenges emerging out of the “choppy waters” is the task at hand.

“I'm very confident that we will rise to the challenges,” Mr. Jaishankar said during an interactive session at the 5th Kautilya Economic Conclave in New Delhi.

The flagship event's theme was ‘Resilience in an Age of Flux’.

Mr. Jaishankar shared the dais with former Foreign Minister of Singapore, George Yong Boon Yeo, during the closing session of the three-day conclave.

The Minister was asked how he saw the challenges ahead amid the geopolitical uncertainties.

“We know that this is going to be an age of flux, as you call it. And it is going to be turbulent and volatile, with uncertainties. We are seeing two major conflicts; we are seeing other frictions. As I said, there is the pressure of non-market factors; there is tariff volatility,” Mr. Jaishankar said.

“So, taking all of these into account... Yes, these are choppy waters,” he said.

The Minister, however, said that as India's record shows, “we have been able to rise to the challenges, whether it was Covid, or the challenge of a double conflict today”.

“The challenges of energy, food, fertilisers… We need to factor them into our thinking, plan and respond – that in a sense is the task before us. And I'm very confident that we will rise to the challenge," he said.

Mr. Jaishankar also spoke about championing the voice of the Global South.

“The Global South expects India to articulate on the world stage,” he said.

According to the Minister, New Delhi maintains that dialogue and diplomacy are the way forward to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

On reforms needed for the United Nations and other multilateral institutions, Mr. Jaishankar said, “The UN is gridlocked,” adding that a few countries were resisting its reforms.