NEW DELHI: The position of India is now more powerful than it has ever been, said former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair in Delhi on Friday.
"India’s position is potentially more powerful than ever with the G20 and it is absurd to think that India is not a permanent member of the UNSC. You could say that about other countries as well," said Blair speaking at a panel discussion during Raisina Dialogue.
India’s position in shifting geopolitics is absolutely critical because the progress the country has made in the last few years has been remarkable, the former British PM said.
"UK India’s relations are great today. The fact that we have a Prime Minister who is of Indian origin shows how much things have changed," Blair added.
Talking about technology and how it has reformed the way the world functions, Blair complimented India and its digital program.
"India’s digital ID program (referring to Aadhar) is the best in the world," he said adding that on the flip side of technology, social media is a bane at times.
"Conventionally it is believed and understood that those who shout the loudest do not need to be heard. But this doesn’t apply to social media," Blair said.
Blair noted that India today is a bigger economy than Britain.
“It is a geopolitical power, it is a post-colonial country that dominates the original English sport of cricket,” he said during the discussion that included External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and former England Cricketer Kevin Pietersen.
He said that increasingly around the world when countries are worried about whether they have to choose between the USA and China, “I think India is a country seen by many as an objective friend.”