In January 2025, PM Modi emphasized India’s role in amplifying the voice of the Global South, highlighting India’s efforts to lead reforms for a more inclusive global governance structure (3rd Voice of Global South Summit, 2024).
India’s Renewed Ambition in Global Diplomacy
- India’s Commitment: PM Modi’s speeches at the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and the 3rd Voice of Global South Summit reflect India’s desire to champion inclusive global governance.
- Shift from NAM: Unlike its past focus on decolonization or opposing the West, India now seeks to bridge the Global North and South.
- Proactive Stance: India’s growing engagement with the Global South raises questions about its motivations and how it can effectively influence global development.
Global South
- Refers to countries that are often developing, less developed, or underdeveloped, primarily in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
- Characteristics:
- Higher levels of poverty, income inequality, and poor living conditions.
- Typically face challenges in education, healthcare, infrastructure, and economic development.
Global North:
- The Global North consists of wealthier nations, primarily in North America, Europe, and parts of Oceania (e.g., US, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand).
Motivations Behind India’s Engagement with the Global South
- The China Factor:
- India aims to present an alternative development model to China’s state-led, debt-driven approach, especially in Africa and Asia.
- India promotes equal partnerships and sustainable growth, supported by alliances like the QUAD (India, US, Japan, Australia) to counterbalance China’s influence.
- India’s Aspiration for Self-Reliance:
- India seeks to establish itself as a self-reliant power advocating for fairer economic structures.
- Differentiates itself from both China and Western powers by addressing the debt struggles and policy challenges of developing nations.
Steps India Must Take to Strengthen Its Global Role
- Redefining Development Cooperation:
- India must embrace a bottom-up approach to development cooperation, moving away from traditional donor-recipient models.
- The ‘Global Development Compact’ should focus on collaborative learning, making India a true partner rather than a dominant force.
- A Human-Centric Development Model:
- Expand India’s focus on human development to include skill-building, entrepreneurship, and capacity-building.
- Initiatives like Skill India and women’s workforce integration can be tailored to the needs of developing nations.
- India can offer expertise on MSMEs, digital infrastructure, climate solutions, and food security for long-term partnerships.
- Institutional Strengthening & Global Governance Reform:
- India’s advocacy for African Union’s inclusion in the G-20 highlights its commitment to reforming global governance.
- To become a credible partner, India must invest in strengthening its own institutional capacity for global leadership.
- Trilateral partnerships with experienced actors (UN, European countries) can serve as learning opportunities for India.
The Way Forward
- Long-Term Strategy:
- India should create its own robust domestic systems for international cooperation, beyond relying on external partnerships.
- Trilateral partnerships should be viewed as a learning process to refine India’s development approach and scale up India-led initiatives.
India has a unique opportunity to redefine its role as the leader of the Global South. By advocating for inclusive economic structures, promoting human-centric development, and strengthening institutional frameworks, India can emerge as an effective global partner. India must also “listen” to the needs of developing nations to ensure its leadership aligns with their aspirations.
