Mr Jaishankar also spoke about the Balakot Airstrike

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said India today is not only seen across the globe as "friendly and fair" but also as a "firm and fiery" nation that cares for its people and fends for them in crisis situations.

Mr Jaishankar made the remarks while speaking on the topic "Viksit Bharat @2047 - The Voice of the Youth" at an event at Delhi University's Hansraj College.

He was referring to the rescue operations run by India to bring back its citizens from war-torn countries such as Ukraine.

"Viksit Bharat" is not a mere slogan to motivate the people but is the foundation built in the last 10 years upon which the future of India's next 25 years will be built, Mr Jaishankar said while addressing students.

"The next 25 years of the 'Amrit Kaal' are your future. It is the journey towards 'Viksit Bharat', and it is you who will make this journey possible," he said.

The external affairs minister said that he sees these 25 years as "a period of opportunity and new challenge".

"This change is of the kind that we have never seen before," Mr Jaishankar said while highlighting the developments that have taken place in the economy and the technology sector, and in India's position in the global forum.

India has emerged as a technology leader globally and the first impression that it has made on the world is with the success of Chandrayaan-3 "which was made at less than the cost of making a movie", Mr Jaishankar said, referring to the country's mission to the South Pole of the Moon.

He also said that India is growing as a digital economy with cashless transactions of 12 billion per month, higher than America where four billion such transactions take place in a year.

Mr Jaishankar also spoke about India's non-tolerance towards cross-border terrorism and gave the example of the Balakot airstrike.

(With Agency Inputs)