Friday 06 / March / 2026
New Delhi : In his keynote address, President Alexander Stubb drew attention to certain complementarities between India and Finland. He stated that while Finland has been rated as the "happiest country in the world" for nearly a decade, India has ranked consistently as "the most optimistic country." He felt that the global order of the future must build on the happiness and optimism that Finland and India jointly bring to the table.
"The global power balance has shifted. The Global South has demography and economy on its side. The era of a Western-dominated world is over," he said.The eleventh edition of the Raisina Dialogue, India's flagship conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, was inaugurated last evening by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb.
Opening the proceedings, Samir Saran, President, Observer Research Foundation (ORF) said that throughout its eleven years, the Dialogue has remained steadfast in its "aim of unpacking the present to help shape the future."
He pointed out that its theme in 2026, Samskara, captures a world in which "nations are asserting their identity, asserting their dialogue, and advancing through refinement."
Sunjoy Joshi, Chairman, ORF noted that current conflicts are guided by impulses that are inherently old. What has changed however is their technological capability. Solutions to these challenges, he felt, will require new coalitions, a new template for intellectual engagement, and a forward-looking governance agenda.
Calling for a multilateralism that recognised today's realities, he proposed that a reformed United Nations Security Council should include two permanent seats each from Asia and Africa respectively, and one from Latin America. President Stubb asserted unequivocally that India must have a permanent seat at the Security Council.
Acknowledging India's role in promoting issues that matter to the people, President Stubb applauded Prime Minister Modi's ambition and efforts to take Artificial Intelligence to the last mile, and to use it meaningfully to transform its citizens' lives.
Delivering the vote of thanks at the inaugural session of the Raisina Dialogue 2026, EAM Dr S Jaishankar complimented the forum's unique "openness, diversity, energy, and atmosphere." He expressed his conviction that the Dialogue would continue to reflect on "new capabilities, new mindsets, and new habits and assumptions."
Day 1 also featured a series of Curtain Raisers with prominent international voices, including Christopher Landau, Deputy Secretary of State, United States of America; Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Former Prime Minister of Denmark; Benedetta Berti, Secretary General of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Italy; Rishi Bal, Chief Executive Officer, BharatGen, India; Sakshi Gupta, Policy Expert, Global Government Affairs, Qualcomm, United States of America; Erik Solheim, Former Minister of Climate and the Environment, Norway; and Amitabh Kant, Former G20 Sherpa, India.
All open-door sessions at the Raisina Dialogue will be streamed live on the official Raisina Dialogue Twitter handle (@raisinadialogue), the Observer Research Foundation's YouTube channel and Facebook page.
Across its past ten editions, the Raisina Dialogue has established itself as India's leading conference on geopolitics and geo-economics, shaping global public policy conversations around the world.
The Raisina Dialogue is hosted by the Observer Research Foundation and the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.
