NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Johannesburg, South Africa, from November 21 to 23 to participate in the 20th G20 Leaders’ Summit, the External Affairs Ministry announced on Wednesday.
The gathering, hosted by South Africa, marks the fourth consecutive G20 Summit held in the Global South, which highlights a continued shift toward developing-country leadership on global economic and governance issues.
Prime Minister Modi will present India’s positions across the full spectrum of the G20 agenda, and is scheduled to speak in all three formal sessions of the summit.
The first session, “Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth Leaving No One Behind,” will focus on strengthening global economic recovery, expanding trade opportunities, improving development financing and addressing the growing debt burden on vulnerable economies. Sources said New Delhi will emphasise the need for equitable growth and fairer access to global markets.
The second session, “A Resilient World – the G20’s Contribution,” will address disaster risk reduction, climate change, just energy transitions and food systems. India is expected to highlight its experience in scaling renewable energy, climate adaptation strategies and international initiatives such as the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).
The final session, “A Fair and a Just Future for All,” will take up critical minerals, decent work and the governance of artificial intelligence. India is likely to push for transparent and diversified supply chains for critical minerals and stress the need for safe, inclusive and development-oriented AI frameworks.
On the sidelines of the summit, Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings with several world leaders. He will also take part in the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Leaders’ Meeting, hosted by South Africa, signalling continued engagement among the three major democracies of the Global South.
The visit provides an opportunity for the Global South countries to reinforce their role in shaping global economic and technological governance at a moment of heightened geopolitical flux.
Washington has announced that it would skip the first ever G20 summit to be held in Africa, citing allegations that the host nation which was once governed by a white-minority apartheid regime until 1994 now discriminates against white citizens, a charge vehemently denied by the South African government.
