India should have a seat at the table of great powers: Former UK Chief of Defence Nick Carter

UK's former Chief of Defence Staff Nick Carter at the Rising Bharat Summit.

• India should have a seat at the great powers' table
• General Carter highlights India's rising global influence
• India urged to double down on democratic values and alliances

Did our AI summary help?

UK's former Chief of Defence Staff General Nick Carter admitted to India's 'political clout, leverage and economic value' and said India should have a seat at the great powers' table.

Speaking to Manging Editor of Moneycontrol Nalin Mehta at the Rising Bharat Summit in New Delhi on Saturday, Carter delivered a stark assessment of the rapidly shifting global security landscape, warning that the world has entered an era of persistent instability and “competition below the threshold of war.”

He underlined the growing importance of the Indo-Pacific and described India as a central pillar in shaping future global stability.

Stating that he has always been an advocate for alliances which serve as the bedrock of stability and security in the world, Carter said he was never an advocate of Brexit. "Britain's future could have been better found inside the European Union...UK is going to be better if she operates with allies. The relationship with India and other middle powers will be a better future for all of us

On being asked on what should be the way forward for India amid heightened geopolitical tensions and growing fragmentation in the global order, the global strategist said, "It's entirely right that India has enough political clout, leverage and economic value to be able to be plough its own furrow... This year, we will probably find India becoming the fourth largest economy in the world...India should have a seat at the great powers' table, be it the Board of Peace or the UN Secuity Council."

Stating that he has always agreed with the 'India way'--a term coined by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, referring to a pragmatic, interest-driven, multi-aligned foreign policy strategy, Carter said, "India should double down on its democratic values and look for other middle powers, that share the same values...Trade, cooperate and collaborate with those who see the world through the same principles that you have always seen the world through."

Stating that there are more opportunities for India than China in terms of demography and household consumption driving the nation's GDP,  Carter said, "India needs to retain hard power...India's got a lot to trade in terms of extraordinarily young and potentially skilled workforce. Opportunities are there for India in a way that are not there for China."