External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has expressed optimism over the direction of India’s democracy and stressed that India’s democracy has delivered.

While participating in a panel discussion on the topic ‘Live to Vote Another Day: Fortifying Democratic Resilience’ at the Munich Security Conference alongside Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin and Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowsk on Friday (February 14, 2025), Mr. Jaishankar said that he differs in the view that democracy is in trouble globally and highlighted India’s democracy.

When asked about his views regarding Western democracy, “Well before I do that, I appeared to be an optimist in what is relatively a pessimistic panel, if not room. I will begin by sticking up my finger. This, the mark you see on my nail, is a mark of a person who has just voted. We just had an election in my State.”

“Last year, we had a national election. In Indian elections, roughly two-thirds of the eligible voters vote. At the national elections, the electorate of about 900 million, about 700 million voted. We count the votes in a single day.”, Mr. Jaishankar said.

“Nobody disputes the result after it’s announced and by the way, from the time we started voting in the modern era, 20% of people more vote today than they did decades ago. So, the first message is that somehow democracy is in trouble globally, worldwide, I am sorry, I have to differ with it. I mean, right now, we are living well. We are voting well. We are optimistic about the direction of our democracy and for us democracy is actually delivered,” he added.

Mr. Jaishankar said that India is a democratic society and gives nutrition support to 800 million people. He noted that there are parts where democracy is working well and there could be parts where it is not. However, he underscored that it is should not considered a universal phenomenon.

External Affairs Minister said, “Senator you said that democracy doesn’t put food on your table. Actually, in my part of the world, it does because it actually, today because we are a democratic society, we give nutrition support, and food to 800 million people and for whom that is a matter of how healthy they are and how full their stomachs are. So, the point I want to make is look different parts of the world are going through different conversations. Please do not assume that this is a kind of universal phenomenon, it is not.”

In a post on X, Mr. Jaishankar wrote, “Started the #MSC2025 with a panel on ‘Live to Vote Another Day: Fortifying Democratic Resilience’. Joined PM @jonasgahrstore, @ElissaSlotkin and @trzaskowski_. Highlighted India as a democracy that delivers. Differed with the prevailing political pessimism. Spoke my mind on foreign interference.”

He said that India chose a democratic model after independence as the nation had fundamentally a consultative pluralistic society. He noted that there was a time when the West treated democracy as a Western characteristic. He said that many nations of the Global South are likely to say that India’s experience is more transposable to their societies than to those of others.

Mr. Jaishankar noted that India has stayed true to the democratic model despite the challenges it has faced. He called it important that the West embraces the successful models outside the West if it wants democracy to prevail.

The 61st Munich Security Conference (MSC) is being held in Germany’s Munich from February 14-16. The MSC 2025 will offer an unparalleled platform for high-level debates on the key foreign and security policy challenges of time.

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