Forces that indulged in cross-border terrorism against India for decades now know this is a “new India” which will give them a reply, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said, media reported.

Addressing the Indian community in Uganda on Wednesday, Jaishankar stressed that India can meet its national security challenges posed by China and Pakistan, said a report in the media.

He spoke about the transformation of the country into a new India, referring to the Balakot strikes in retaliation to an attack on the Indian Army camp in Kashmir’s Uri by Pakistani terrorists.

"Today, people see a different India that is willing to stand up and India which will meet its national security challenges whether it is Uri or whether it is Balakot," he said.

He also stated the challenges on the border with China in the last three years with Beijing deploying large forces violating agreements, he said.

India has tackled the situation and deployed military at very great heights and in severe climatic and geographic conditions, he said.

However, this wasn’t the response India gave in the past to Chinese violations. Now, Indian soldiers have the "full backing, they have the right equipment and the infrastructure," Jaishankar said, according to the report.

India’s policies are no longer impacted by any external pressures and what we see now is a more independent India, he said.

Today, other countries cannot put pressure and "tell us where we should buy our oil and where we should not buy our oil."

"This an India which will do what is in the interest of its citizens, its consumers," he said, the report quoted the EAM as saying.

Meanwhile, Russia emerged as the top supplier to meet India’s crude oil requirements for the sixth straight month in the month of March, according to energy tracker Vortexa.

Russia has emerged as a significant supplier of crude oil to India, after the US and the EU imposed sanctions following its war with Ukraine since February 2022.