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By:

Akhilesh Sinha

25 June 2025 at 2:53:54 pm

India's multi-align diplomacy triumphs

New Delhi: West Asia has transformed into a battlefield rained by fireballs. Seas or land, everywhere echoes the roar of cataclysmic explosions, flickering flames, and swirling smoke clouds. et amid such adversity, Indian ships boldly waving the Tricolour navigate the strait undeterred, entering the Arabian Sea. More remarkably, Iran has sealed its airspace to global flights but opened it for the safe evacuation of Indians.   This scene evokes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's memorable 2014...

India's multi-align diplomacy triumphs

New Delhi: West Asia has transformed into a battlefield rained by fireballs. Seas or land, everywhere echoes the roar of cataclysmic explosions, flickering flames, and swirling smoke clouds. et amid such adversity, Indian ships boldly waving the Tricolour navigate the strait undeterred, entering the Arabian Sea. More remarkably, Iran has sealed its airspace to global flights but opened it for the safe evacuation of Indians.   This scene evokes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's memorable 2014 interview. He stated that "there was a time when we counted waves from the shore; now the time has come to take the helm and plunge into the ocean ourselves."   In a world racing toward conflict, Modi has proven India's foreign policy ranks among the world's finest. Guided by 'Nation First' and prioritising Indian safety and interests, it steadfastly embodies  'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' , the world as one family.   Policy Shines Modi's foreign policy shines with such clarity and patience that even as war flames engulf West Asian nations, Indians studying and working there return home safe. In just 13 days, nearly 100,000 were evacuated from Gulf war zones, mostly by air, some via Armenia by road. PM Modi talked with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian to secure Iran's airspace for the safe evacuation of Indians, a privilege denied to any other nation. Additionally, clearance was granted for Indian ships carrying crude oil and LPG to pass safely through the Hormuz Strait. No other country's vessels are navigating these waters, except for those of Iran's ally, China. The same strategy worked in the Ukraine-Russia war: talks with both presidents ensured safe corridors, repatriating over 23,000 students and businessmen. Iran, Israel, or America, all know India deems terrorism or war unjustifiable at any cost. PM Modi amplified anti-terror campaigns from UN to global platforms, earning open support from many nations.   Global Powerhouse Bolstered by robust foreign policy and economic foresight, India emerges as a global powerhouse, undeterred by tariff hurdles. Modi's adept diplomacy yields notable successes. Contrast this with Nehru's era: wedded to Non-Aligned Movement, he watched NAM member China seize vast Ladakh territory in war. Today, Modi's government signals clearly, India honors friends, spares no foes. Abandoning non-alignment, it embraces multi-alignment: respecting sovereignties while prioritizing human welfare and progress. The world shifts from unipolar or bipolar to multipolar dynamics.   Modi's policy hallmark is that India seal defense deals like the S-400 and others with Russia yet sustains US friendship. America bestows Legion of Merit; Russia, its highest civilian honor, Order of St. Andrew the Apostle. India nurtures ties with Israel, Palestine, Iran via bilateral talks. Saudi Arabia stands shoulder-to-shoulder across fronts; UAE trade exceeds $80 billion. UN's top environment award, UNEP Champions of the Earth, graces India, unlike past when foreign nations campaigned against us on ecological pretexts.   This policy's triumph roots in economic empowerment. India now ranks the world's fourth-largest economy, poised for third in 1-2 years. The 2000s dubbed it 'fragile'; then-PM economist Dr. Manmohan Singh led. Yet  'Modinomics'  prevailed. As COVID crippled supply chains, recession loomed, inflation soared and growth plunged in developed countries,  Modinomics  made India the 'bright star.' Inflation stayed controlled, growth above 6.2 per cent. IMF Chief Economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas praised it, advising the world to learn from India.

Designing for AI Without Chasing It

Over the last three weeks, we’ve tried to take the noise out of the AI conversation.

Week 1: AI isn’t a cure. It’s a diagnostic.

Week 2: AI breaks first where work is unclear.

Week 3: AI only creates leverage when the right conditions exist.


Now comes the real question:

How do you design for AI without turning your business into a lab?

Here’s a simpler way to think about it.


Stop thinking of AI as a tool. Think of it as a new hire.


When you hire a smart person, you don’t throw them into the business and hope they “figure it out”.


You give them:

  • a role

  • boundaries

  • access

  • supervision

  • rhythm


Most SMEs are doing the opposite with AI. They buy a tool, share logins, and feel surprised when:

  • responses sound polished but don’t match reality

  • customers get updates operations can’t fulfil

  • teams quietly bypass the system to protect themselves


That’s not AI failing. That’s poor onboarding. AI doesn’t need motivation. But it still needs a seat in your operating system.

The Mistake

The pattern we’re seeing is predictable. A leader introduces AI for relief. The team uses it for drafts and summaries. Then someone lets it touch real commitments … pricing, timelines, approvals. And stress follows. Not because teams fear AI. Because they fear being blamed for AI’s output.


When process clarity, input ownership, and decision rights are fuzzy, AI feels unsafe. So people hedge. Double-check. Keep the old system alive in parallel. So, the real question isn’t “How do we adopt AI?”


It’s: How do we create a structured place where AI can help without creating chaos?


The sequence

If you remember one line from this series, let it be this:

Capability → Automation → Intelligence.

Not as a lecture. As protection.

You don’t want AI to become a second operating system running on guesses.

Here’s what good sequencing looks like.


Step 1: Build one “AI lane”

Don’t launch AI everywhere. Pick one lane of work where:

  • the process is repeatable

  • errors are visible

  • ownership is clear

For example:

  • enquiry → quote → order confirmation

  • vendor purchase → invoice approval

  • support ticket → resolution

Choose one.

This isn’t about “starting small”. It’s about learning safely.

 

Step 2: Give AI a job description

A simple rule works:

AI can draft. Humans decide.

AI can:

  • draft replies

  • summarise calls

  • create first versions

AI should not:

  • commit delivery dates

  • approve payments

  • override pricing

The moment AI starts “deciding” in a system where decision rights are unclear, confusion follows. When boundaries are explicit, resistance drops. People feel protected.


Step 3: Define only the data that truly matters

Data discipline doesn’t mean cleaning everything. It means defining what must be correct for that one lane. If you’re using AI in order fulfilment, then ensure:

  • one customer master

  • one SKU naming rule

  • one pricing logic

  • one rule for promised dates

That’s it. You don’t need perfect data. You need owned critical data. Without it, AI becomes a confident guesser.


Step 4: Install a review rhythm

This is what separates experimentation from leverage. If you introduce AI and never review its use, two things happen:

  • small mistakes compound

  • trust erodes quietly

Instead, create a simple rhythm:

Once a week, review 5–10 AI-assisted cases.

Where did it help?

Where did it mislead?

What input was missing?

Adjust the process. When this rhythm exists, AI improves with the business instead of drifting away from it.


What to Fix

You don’t need a grand AI roadmap. Set one clear objective: Make one lane of your business legible.

Legible means:

  • the work has a defined shape

  • inputs have an owner

  • decisions have boundaries

  • reviews happen on time

Once work is legible, AI becomes useful naturally. Not because you chased it. Because it finally has something stable to sit on.


A Calm Close

Chasing AI creates short bursts of excitement and long-term fatigue. Designing for AI creates quiet confidence. The difference isn’t technology. It’s sequence. So instead of asking, “Which AI tool should we adopt next?” ask: Where in our business are we ready to multiply clarity? Because AI will multiply whatever you give it. Make sure it’s something worth multiplying.


(The writer is the CEO of PPS Consulting and quite passionate about helping SMEs make the right decisions and not costly ones. She can be reached at rashmi@ppsconsulting.biz)

 

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