Aspen, Colo., July 20, 2025 – Indian National Congress leader and former Union Minister Sachin Pilot took part in the Aspen Security Forum on July 17, 2025, speaking on a panel titled “India’s Geopolitical Moment?”. Pilot, who is national general secretary of the Congress party and a former Telecom and Corporate Affairs Minister of India, joined fellow panellists Shaurya Doval (India Foundation) and Professor Sumit Ganguly (Stanford) under moderator Edward Luce of the Financial Times. His presence at the high-profile Aspen gathering, which brings together international security experts and policymakers, underscored India’s growing global role.
On the panel, Pilot addressed India’s strategic challenges, especially cross-border terrorism and regional security. He highlighted India’s response to a recent terror incident: “India did what it had to do, with the armed forces doing an amazing job,” referring to the April 22 attack on Indian tourists in Kashmir. He stressed that the episode was “an act of terror” for India, reaffirming New Delhi’s tough stance. Pilot also spoke broadly about India’s international significance, saying the country was emerging as “a decisive pillar of peace and stability” worldwide and outlining India’s “peaceful but powerful” security strategy, committed to fighting terrorism in cooperation with global partners.
Reflecting on the forum afterward, Pilot tweeted that discussing “India’s geopolitical significance in an increasingly multipolar world” had been “an enriching discussion on several aspects of India’s current security and strategic affairs”. Indian media reported that at Aspen he “strongly defended India’s stance” on key issues such as geopolitics, cross-border terrorism and Pakistan-sponsored violence. By sharing his views on an international stage, Pilot framed India’s perspective for a global audience, a move noted positively by commentators.
Diplomatic reactions to the issues, Pilot raised have been supportive of India’s position. For example, the European Union “unequivocally condemn[ed]” the Pahalgam attack and affirmed that “terrorism can never be justified”. Russian President Vladimir Putin likewise “strongly condemned” the assault on Prime Minister Modi’s call, offering “full support” to India in its fight against terrorism. Such statements echo the tone of Pilot’s remarks at Aspen, tying India’s message of vigilance against terror to broader international consensus.
