External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday articulated a vision of India’s growing influence and responsibilities on the global stage, characterising it as a “return of history.” Speaking at an exhibition of manuscripts organised by SAMHiTA (South Asian Manuscript Histories and Textual Archive) at the India International Centre,  Jaishankar underlined India’s evolving role in the international order.

“We are seeing what I would call a return of history,” said Jaishankar, “A return of history in terms of a civilization state, India, expanding its influence, increasing its weight in the global order, building many more relationships, and taking on more responsibilities,” quoted as saying by reporter

Jaishankar highlighted the ongoing process of economic rebalancing, which led to the formation of the G20, and pointed to the current phase of political rebalancing, especially in discussions regarding the reform of the United Nations.