India must build “deep national strengths” for its transition towards a leading power and the country’s goals and ambitions cannot be determined by the goodwill of others, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday.

In a virtual address at the Asia Economic Dialogue held in Pune, he said the vision of the Narendra Modi government and its programmes over the last decade are aimed at building national strength.

“As the most populous country that will be third largest economy by the end of the decade, our goals and ambitions cannot be determined by the goodwill of others,” Mr Jaishankar said.

We must build deep national strengths during the ‘Amrit Kaal’ that will drive the transition towards a developed economy and a leading power,” he said.

“This is the vision of the Modi Government and our initiatives and programmes of the last decade are aimed at this end,” he added.

The minister also delved into various geopolitical challenges facing the globe.

“One is the supply-chain challenge that arises from a particular economic hardwiring created by the globalization era. Whether it is finished products, intermediates or components, the world is dangerously dependent on a limited number of suppliers,” he said.