Raisina Chronicles: India's Global Public Square - A Book Review

“We are in a tempest and we need to stand tall in considering our common challenges. That is why opportunities like the Raisina Dialogue are so precious in times of accelerated and confusing events…” ~ Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy 

Illustration by The Geostrata

Aano bhadra krtavo yantu vishwatah, says the ancient Indian text of the Rigveda, which translates into "Let noble thoughts come to us from all directions." This ancient wisdom of the Vedas has been the pillar of India's governance and policy making.

Acceptance of diversity and intellectual wisdom from across the world has been one of the key pillars of India's growth story.

The Raisina Dialogue, India’s premier conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, hosted by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, is the paragon of that acceptance of diversity and intellectual wisdom from across the globe.

The first Raisina Dialogue was held in March 2016, which primarily focused on “Asia: Regional and Global Connectivity”. Since then the dialogue has been hosted regularly every year, covering issues of larger public importance in domains ranging from climate change to fair trade practices and from military affairs to peace in the world.

This year in 2025, it marked the 10th edition of this flagship conference when it was organised in March.

With the theme of “Kālachakra – People, Peace and Planet”, the conference focused on six thematic pillars, namely Politics Interrupted, Resolving the Green Trilemma, Digital Planet, Militant Mercantilism, The Tiger's Tale, and Investing in Peace. 

To commemorate and celebrate the success of ten years of fruitful dialogue and discussion and inclusion of diversity of thought, the book “Raisina Chronicles: India’s Global Public Square” was published, which is edited by Dr S. Jaishankar, minister of External Affairs, and Mr Samir Saran, president of the ORF.

The book, published by Rupa Publications, is divided into seven sections, with each section covering a different set of unique perspectives.

The book brings together voices from across the world reflecting on Raisina Dialogue’s impact on how to smoothly navigate global challenges amid ongoing geopolitical and geoeconomic flux and how to work towards solutions that work.

Image Credits: Rupa Publications

In the introduction part, the editors highlight the disproportionate nature of existing globalised institutions. They rightly put strong emphasis on how, in the current version of globalisation, few countries were able to ultimately control the process of globalisation at the expense of many and how the self-appointed custodians of the world are divorced from the true reality of the world.

It further argues why Bharat matters and why the world needs Bharat. It says, “Bharat means having the courage to be contrary when needed, contributive when required, and confident at all times…Raisina is where the world absorbs Bharat, and Bharat in turn shapes the world.”

The profound compilation of more than thirty speeches and essays charts out the process and effect that the Raisina Dialogue had throughout the decade. Australian Foreign Minister H.E. Penny Wong stresses the importance of forums like Raisina for strategic thinking during this time of escalating security challenges.

H.E. Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Denmark, discusses the interconnected crises that the world faces today, highlighting the urgent need for reinvigorating global commitment to tackle shared challenges.

The former Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral John Aquilino underscores the role that Raisina has played in fostering collaboration between like-minded countries. He writes, “It (Raisina Dialogue) provides the opportunity to meet with many allies and partners who are singularly focused on the issues facing the Indo-Pacific.”

In the concluding chapter General David Petraeus, former Director of CIA, astute how the Raisina Dialogue encapsulates India’s complex stance, embracing both Quad and BRICS, reflecting its practice of Strategic Autonomy.

“The Raisina Dialogue has emerged as a metaphor of India’s rise,” he writes. 

Overall, the book provides a rollercoaster ride covering the last decade of geopolitical and geoeconomic ups and downs. It reflects India’s unique strength and ability to accept intellectual diversity from every corner of the world and, as mentioned earlier, provides solutions that work. It is an essential read for everyone interested in diplomacy, geopolitics and foreign policy, for both practitioners and learners alike.

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BY DARSHAN GAJJAR

TEAM GEOSTRATA

info@thegeostrata.com