NSA Ajit Doval says India’s development momentum is set, but leadership, decision-making, and national willpower will determine how the country’s future is shaped.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval addresses young participants at the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue in New Delhi on Saturday. | Photo: YouTube/@MyBharatHQ
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Friday said India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation is firmly on track, driven by the pace laid down by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking at the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue in the capital, Doval said the momentum is strong enough to carry the country forward even without constant intervention.
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“India will definitely develop. India, at the pace and speed that PM Modi has set. Even if it runs on autopilot, it will still be developed,” he said.
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But he added a note of caution. Development alone is not enough. Leadership will decide what kind of developed nation India becomes.
Also Read: PM Modi to interact with youth at Viksit Bharat Young Leaders’ Dialogue 2.0 in Delhi
Addressing young participants, Doval urged them to sharpen their decision-making skills, calling it the most enduring quality of leadership.
“I’ve forgotten my youth, and your youth has changed so much that I’m not even aware of many things. But one thing is very common in both: when I was young, and now, I’ve observed that it always stays with you… That is your decision-making ability,” he said.
He posed a direct question. Who will lead a developed India?
“But the question is: who will lead this developed India? How capable will they be? The greatest strength of a leader is making the right decisions. They make decisions on time and implement those decisions with complete faith and conviction,” Doval said.
He said this skill is essential across fields, from science and technology to national security, and must be built early.
Doval also spoke at length about national willpower, calling it the real source of a country’s strength.
“You can increase your willpower. That same willpower becomes national power,” he said, explaining that wars are not about destruction but dominance of resolve.
“Why do we fight wars? We’re not psychopaths who get great satisfaction or pleasure from seeing enemy corpses, dead bodies, and severed limbs. That’s not why wars are fought,” he said.
“Wars are fought to break a country’s morale, so that it will surrender according to our wishes and accept our terms… The will of the nation is what wars are fought for,” he added.
Referring to current global conflicts, Doval said countries use force to impose their will, and only strong leadership backed by morale ensures independence.
“If you have everything but without that morale, all your weapons and resources will be useless,” he said.
He praised India’s leadership for steering the country towards rapid progress over the last decade, calling its commitment and dedication a source of inspiration.
The Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2.0 began on Saturday at Bharat Mandapam and will continue until January 12. The first edition was held at the same venue in January 2025.
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