NEW DELHI, Oct. 3 -- Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said the era of globalization and open markets that defined the post-Cold War world has become "a relic of the past," warning that nations must now navigate a structural transformation of the global order amid heightened uncertainty.

Speaking at the fourth Kautilya Economic Conclave, Sitharaman described India as a "stabilizing force" in this turbulent landscape, with growth anchored in domestic drivers: consumption, investment, reforms, and inflation management that shield the economy from external shocks.

But she cautioned that sustaining this resilience will require constant effort. "Just as eternal vigilance is the price of liberty, eternal performance is the price o...