India’s trajectory of advancement would have been markedly accelerated had its borders boasted greater fortification and delineation, devoid of the encumbrance of “hostile dispossession,” as emphasized by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, accentuating the nation’s exponential empowerment over the past decade.
During his delivery of the Rustamji Memorial Lecture, convened by the Border Security Force (BSF) on the occasion of its 21st investiture ceremony, Doval articulated that India’s economic strides would have been considerably swifter had “our borders been fortified to a greater extent.”
“In the foreseeable future, it appears unlikely that our borders will attain the requisite level of security indispensable for our rapid economic expansion. Consequently, the burden on border defense forces has become exceedingly weighty. They are obligated to maintain unwavering vigilance around the clock, in perpetuity, ensuring the safeguarding of our national interests and territorial integrity,” he remarked.
Borders assume paramount importance as they demarcate the boundary of our sovereignty, he averred. “The land over which we assert dominion is rightfully ours; the remainder falls within the purview of courts and legal proceedings, rendering it inconsequential,” Doval elaborated.
Over the past decade, the government has accorded the utmost priority to border security, a period during which “our comprehensive national prowess has undergone a profound augmentation,” Doval affirmed on Friday. He posited that India is undergoing a rapid metamorphosis and, within the next decade, “we shall emerge as a USD 10 trillion economy, ranking as the third largest globally,” a feat he hailed as a “significant accomplishment.”
He predicted that India will boast one of the largest labor pools and emerge as a nucleus for cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing, and diverse domains of defense and security manufacturing. Having transitioned from being a net importer of arms, India has now emerged as a substantial exporter, with arms exports totaling USD 2.5 billion until March 31, owing to the government’s doctrine of self-reliance and the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, according to Doval.
In this dynamic milieu of India’s evolution, prosperity affords a modicum of security while concurrently heightening vulnerability across broader domains, he observed. “All these factors collectively constitute national prowess, or what the Chinese term as comprehensive national prowess. The amalgamation of your economic standing, geographical expanse, geopolitical positioning, defense capabilities, technological advancements, shall confer upon India an unparalleled degree of comprehensive national prowess,” he concluded.
