Abu Dhabi: There is an intense focus on India at the world stage now because of four major factors, according to a top Indian diplomat.

“Scholars, diplomats and analysts are trying to figure out what are the elements in this ‘discovery of India’. My own sense is, at least, there are four specific reasons,” Navdeep Singh Suri, the new Indian ambassador to the UAE, said at reception hosted by the Indian Social and Cultural Centre (ISC) to welcome him on Wednesday night.

The envoy said the first factor for India’s presence being felt on the global stage was the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India’s growing economy is the second factor and the world is looking to this growth story, he said.

The increasingly volatile geopolitical situations in the world demand India’s contribution and it was the third factor, Suri said. Whether in South China Sea or in the Middle East, the security situation is volatile. India is a large, democratic, transparent nation with predictable processes and mammoth military strength and acts as net contributor to the global security, he said.

The contribution of the Indian diaspora across the world has also helped India attract attention, the envoy said summing up his argument.

About the fast-growing bilateral relations between the UAE and India, the ambassador said that India was eagerly waiting for the visit of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince, as the Chief Guest at the Indian Republic Day celebrations on January 26.

India receives a foreign dignitary every week but the Chief Guest during the Republic Day function has a special status, Suri said.

The Indian Social and Cultural Centre (ISC) will organise its annual India Fest during His Highness Shaikh Mohammad’s visit to India to celebrate the relations between both nations, said Thomas Varghese, honorary president of the ISC. The week-long events starting on January 26 will help strengthen cultural and people-to-people relations, he said.

M.A. Yousuf Ali, chairman of the ISC and managing director of Emke Group, Dr Shamsheer Vayalil and Adeeb Ahmad, patron governors of the ISC, also addressed the gathering.