BENGALURU: “The possibility of a Third World War is no longer remote but increasingly plausible,” said former national security adviser M K Narayanan at a round table discussion during the release of its ‘Global Futures 2035’ report by the Bengaluru-based Synergia Foundation on Friday.
Narayanan attributed this to a combination of facts—technological militarisation, cyber warfare and the erosion of restraint among major powers. While reflecting on the turbulence of the global order, Narayanan advocated the revival of non-alignment as a credible framework in a fractured world order.
He had earlier said that India missed a chance to split western Pakistan after the 1965 and 1971 wars, and it could be difficult to deal with terrorism without dealing with Pakistan.
The round table brought together senior diplomats, policy makers, senior Indian army officers, strategic experts, industry leaders, startups and academia to deliberate on the emerging architecture of global power, economics and technology, as well as environmental and societal issues. The discussions explored the convergence of geopolitical shifts, technological disruption, and the pursuit of strategic autonomy in an increasingly uncertain world.
Speaking on the faultlines of power (geopolitics), former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal argued that the essence of diplomacy has always involved negotiation and compromise, yet the current model has stripped diplomacy of moral and ethical considerations.
Drawing on a civilisational perspective, former foreign secretary Nirupama Rao explored how India must navigate an international system that is simultaneously fragmented, networked, and interdependent. “India has emerged as a trusted anchor economy because of its governance stability, digital infrastructure, and scale,” she added.
Atomic Energy Commission former chairman Dr Anil Kakodkar reflected on the moral and structural paradoxes of today’s world order. India’s strength, he said, lies in its people rather than resources.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) former chairman S Somanath underscored the importance of synergy between academia and industry and said that the government’s contribution and support in R&D needs to be scaled up for a healthy tech ecosystem in the country.
‘Combination of factors’
Narayanan attributed this to a combination of facts—technological militarisation, cyber warfare and the erosion of restraint among major powers. While reflecting on the turbulence of the global order, Narayanan advocated the revival of non-alignment as a credible framework in a fractured world order. The round table brought together senior diplomats, policy makers, senior Indian army officers, strategic experts, industry leaders and startups, etc