Diplomacy should increase country's prosperity: Murmu

President Draupadi Murmu has told Indian Foreign Service (IFS) trainee officers that the country's global engagement should always be in line with the aspirations of its citizens and diplomacy should contribute directly to India's prosperity.
The 2025 batch of Foreign Service Officers-in-Training and two Bhutanese diplomats met Ms Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhawan on Thursday. The President told the officers that India's economic growth is creating new opportunities for the country's engagement with the world. She advised diplomats to be alert to emerging opportunities in areas such as investment, technology, manufacturing, renewable energy and innovation, and forge partnerships that serve India's national interests. Ms. Murmu said that India's global engagement should always be aligned with the aspirations of its citizens, i.e. the national interest should come first. This should remain a permanent rule of professional life of officers. He said that as the country moves towards the goal of becoming developed by the year 2047, the role of diplomacy is increasing. The President said that diplomats should not limit their involvement only to government offices and government meetings. They should also engage with universities, the business world, researchers, innovators, cultural institutions, civil society and local communities. He advised them to engage meaningfully with the diaspora Indian community and, in particular, encourage young members to stay connected to the country and look for opportunities through which they can contribute to India's development journey.
Ms Murmu said that the nature of diplomacy is also changing rapidly. Technology has changed the way nations communicate, do business, and access public services to citizens. India's missions abroad will also have to keep pace with this change. Technology should be used not only as a means of communication, but also as a means of good governance and deeper participation. At the same time, he said that technology can never replace human sensitivity.
He appealed to the diplomats to ensure that the doors of Indian Missions are always open and available to the nationals in times of need. They should continue to build on the tradition demonstrated by the country's large-scale rescue and humanitarian aid operations in recent years. He said that every Indian, who needs help, should feel that their mission is simple, sensitive and reliable. The President said that the officers of the Indian Foreign Service not only represent a country whose cultural history is thousands of years old, but they also represent a young, dynamic and optimistic India. He said that the tradition of peace, pluralism, dialogue, co-existence and respect for diversity is deeply embedded in the cultural milieu of Vasudheo Kattambakkam India.
Ms. Murmo said that in an increasingly uncertain and complex world, diplomats must be alert, curious and ready to continuously learn. Above all, they should always be in a good mood. He appealed to the young officers-in-training to always remember while traveling abroad that they represent not only the Government of India, but also 140 crore Indians and their hopes and aspirations. He advised them to maintain the highest standards of honesty, truthfulness and professional conduct.