Amid global uncertainties and India’s evolving role, Consul General of India to Shanghai, Pratik Mathur has said the country’s doctrine of strategic autonomy offers both value and predictability to partner nations. He noted that India’s strength as a partner lies in its consistency and its refusal to be instrumentalised in the rivalries of others.

He also addressed a common misconception about India that it operates as a single, uniform market. He emphasised that the country’s diversity across states, regulations, and cultures is a defining feature of its democratic structure. He said businesses should integrate this complexity into their strategies rather than attempt to simplify it.

On India’s economic trajectory, he highlighted the success of Production Linked Incentive schemes across 14 sectors. He pointed out that Apple Inc. now manufactures more than 14 per cent of its iPhones in India. He also underscored the strength of India’s digital public infrastructure, including Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Aadhaar, and the Open Network for Digital Commerce.

He further pointed to transformative progress under the PM Gati Shakti master plan. He noted that logistics costs are being reduced from around 14 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) toward a target of 8 per cent. He also highlighted the development of major industrial corridors such as the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor and the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor, which are gradually becoming operational.