India believes in being a force for global good and engagement in a multi-polar world, Sumit Seth, joint secretary and head, Foreign Policy Planning Division at the Union Ministry of External Affairs, has said.
In a freewheeling conversation at the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIM-K), Dr. Seth, brought forth the unique characteristics of policy planning, diplomacy, and the importance of thinking beyond conventional wisdom to generate the next ‘big idea’ for future leaders, managers, and global trendsetters.
His detailed overview on India’s foreign policy set the ball rolling for the audience to gain insights on how “foreign policy is no longer foreign, but as much a part of India’s domestic policy” in an uncertain world.
Dr. Seth also encouraged the young audience to embrace traits of a diplomat, while facing challenges in a corporate world, interspersed with thought evoking lessons from the famous treatise ‘Arthshastra’ by Acharya Chanakya.
Soft power
Terming management as India’s most successful soft power, Prof. Debashis Chatterjee, Director, IIM-K explained the nuances and linkages between management and diplomacy. The institute’s motto of ‘Globalizing Indian Thought’ is a prime example of the country’s soft power outreach, he said.
Earlier, Prof. Deepa Sethi, dean designate IIM-K, and IIM-K programme chairpersons welcomed the guest and said that the insights from India’s foreign policy planning will encourage students to see the larger picture of the operations of global businesses and the importance of planning in management.
