New Delhi: Confidence in India's leadership has grown in recent years and the country is being hailed as the most stable country from a political risk perspective, says the chief of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum. In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Mukesh Aghi speaks extensively about the changing dynamics of global politics and how the United States now is considered a country with significant political risk.
"Well, we should talk about country risk analysis, especially political risk, and India used to always come up there as a political risk country," says Mr Aghi, emphasising the historical perception of India's political landscape.
"For the first time, I'm saying India is coming as the most stable country from a political risk perspective," he added.
Mr Aghi drew a contrast with the uncertainty prevailing in the United States, stating, "US is the other extreme now. We have no idea what's going to happen in the US. President Trump could come back, or President Biden could be elected, or Nikki Haley could be there."
Describing this as turmoil, he stressed on the volatile nature of the political situation in the United States.
Mr Aghi said that the world is in a state of flux, with nearly 50% of the population set to vote in various countries, ranging from the US and India to Russia, Indonesia, and Pakistan.
"I think overall, what we're seeing, the world is in a flux. Almost 50% of the population is going to vote, all the way from US, India, to Russia, to Indonesia, Pakistan itself. We see a change happening. I think for the first time after the Second World War, what we're seeing is there's a shift in the balance of power," he said.
Expressing optimism about India's role in this evolving scenario, Mr Aghi said that countries like India are becoming more assertive and economically robust.
"Countries like India are coming out much more assertive, much more, I call, opulent from the perspective of economic growth," he stated.
The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), formed in 2017, aims to bridge the gap between business and government and foster closer public-private sector partnerships across all facets of the economy and society in the United States and India.
Mr Aghi underlined the multifaceted rise of India, both economically and politically. "In every aspect, you're seeing India rising. You have a leadership which has the confidence, which tends to permeate the confidence in the population," the US-India Partnership Forum head said.
Looking ahead to 2024, Mr Aghi predicts continued growth and confidence in India.
"I think as we look at 2024, we are seeing India's economic growth, India's confidence will keep on rising as things move forward," he says, highlighting a positive trajectory for India on the global stage.