15th Dr.P.K.Gopalakrishnan Memorial Lecture
Dr.V. Anantha Nageswaran delivers 15th P.K. Gopalakrishnan Memorial Lecture at CDS
V. Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India, delivered the 15th P.K. Gopalakrishnan Memorial Lecture on the topic “Building Strategic Leverage in the Emerging World Order: Challenges and Opportunities for India” at the Centre on 16 March 2026
Speaking at the event, Mr. Nageswaran noted that the ongoing conflict in the Persian Gulf, which is multidimensional in nature, has the potential to disrupt the strategic balance among nations for the next two or three decades.
Highlighting the importance of economic strength in geopolitics, he said that competitiveness in manufacturing and export sectors is crucial for building strategic resilience and strategic indispensability. According to him, India’s growth trajectory lies at the intersection of global headwinds and domestic potential.
“Ultimately, if we have to build strategic leverage and strategic indispensability, making stuff matters. Making stuff well with high quality matters, and therefore export competitiveness matters. In doing so, Swadeshi matters,” Mr. Nageswaran said.
On the policy front, he called for ‘Swadeshi ecosystem-first’ reforms, a whole-of-government approach, and cluster-led growth suited to the Indian context. He also emphasized the importance of world-class and reliable infrastructure, long-term policy stability, and the role of an ‘entrepreneurial State’ in driving economic development.
Mr. Nageswaran suggested that India may need to revisit the concept of Swadeshi with suitable modifications. He observed that while the idea may have been set aside between 1990 and 2015/2020, it could regain relevance if adapted carefully to avoid the shortcomings experienced earlier.
“Swadeshi matters, and within it you have to indigenise,” he remarked.
During the event, the CDS Prize for the Best Performing Assistant Professor was awarded to Dr.Ritika Jain in recognition of her academic performance.