Former Chief of the Army Staff Gen. M.M. Naravane (PVSM, AVSM, VSM, SM, Retd.) on Saturday said that India has consistently followed a policy of “strategic autonomy” in addressing key international issues.

He said: "As far as India’s stance on various international issues is concerned, we have always maintained our policy of strategic autonomy."

Explaining the concept, he said, "Strategic autonomy means we take a principled approach on various issues without aligning ourselves to any bloc or alignment."

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“Whether it is the Quad, for example, or BRICS, it is based on what the government feels is best for our country at that point of time. That decision, at that point of time, is in the best interest of the country, and only time will tell whether that approach was correct or incorrect,” he said.

He made these remarks while attending a session on “Prevailing Global Situation & Impacts on India,” hosted by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Kolkata.

The discussion brought together policymakers, strategic affairs experts, defence leaders and economists to examine the security and economic implications of the evolving global landscape for India.

West Bengal Governor R.N. Ravi attended the event as the chief guest.