Vice President Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan addressed the 4th edition of the International Strategic Engagement Programme (IN-STEP) at Uprashtrapati Bhawan on September 25, 2026, calling for greater strategic cooperation among Global South nations to address emerging security and developmental challenges. The event brought together 38 delegates, including 25 international delegates from 22 developing countries including Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Mongolia, Nepal, Mauritius, Maldives, Oman, Guyana, Chile, Argentina, Philippines, Thailand, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Myanmar, Uzbekistan, and Brazil.
The Vice President emphasized the need for collective responses to emerging challenges in technology, cyberspace, artificial intelligence, energy security, economic resilience, maritime security, climate change, and supply chains. He outlined three guiding principles for international cooperation: 'Think globally, engage strategically, and act in cohesion,' stressing that shared challenges require cooperation, coordination and collective endeavor.
Radhakrishnan highlighted corruption as a major challenge confronting Global South countries and called for coordinated efforts to eradicate it, emphasizing the importance of building corruption-free systems with integrity and transparency in public life. He also referenced India's Vaccine Maitri initiative during COVID-19 as an example of technological advancements serving humanity's collective good, reflecting India's ethos of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (One Earth, One Family, One Future).
The IN-STEP program is a two-week initiative jointly organized by the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Defence, and National Security Council Secretariat in collaboration with the National Defence College. This marks the fourth edition of the program, with previous editions held in March 2024, October 2024, and October-November 2025. The program provides a platform for senior professionals to exchange perspectives on strategic, security and developmental issues and strengthen institutional and professional linkages among participating nations.
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