Decoding Modi’s G20 Diplomacy: Strategic Engagements and India’s Rising Global Stature 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s engagements at the G20 Summit in Johannesburg underscored India’s strategic and multi-faceted role on the global stage, as he concluded a series of pivotal bilateral meetings with leaders from Canada, Japan, Italy, and South Africa, which yielded concrete agreements on deepening cooperation in defense, space, counter-terrorism, and technology.

Against a backdrop of a divided geopolitical landscape, marked by the U.S. absence and contentious debates on Ukraine, Modi championed the priorities of the Global South, advocating for climate action, debt relief, and a groundbreaking global compact for human-centric and open-source artificial intelligence governance, thereby reinforcing India’s position as a influential voice for developing nations and a proponent of strategic autonomy and practical diplomacy in a transitional world order.

Decoding Modi’s G20 Diplomacy: Strategic Engagements and India’s Rising Global Stature 

The Johannesburg summit proved to be far more than a diplomatic routine—it was a strategic stage where India advanced its interests across multiple continents. 

The G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg concluded with significant developments that underscored shifting global alliances and the complex geopolitics defining our era. Against the backdrop of a contentious U.S. peace proposal for Ukraine that divided Western leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi navigated the gathering with strategic precision, advancing bilateral relationships while positioning India as an advocate for the Global South. 

The summit, marked by America’s conspicuous absence over disputed claims about South Africa’s treatment of its white minority, became a forum where European leaders pushed back against American demands for Ukrainian concessions while developing nations, including India, championed climate action and debt relief. 

The Bilateral Chessboard: Modi’s Strategic Engagements 

Strengthening Ties with Canada 

Prime Minister Modi’s meeting with his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney represented a significant step in enhancing bilateral cooperation across critical sectors. Both leaders agreed to “unlock the potential for deeper cooperation in defence and space sectors,” building on the momentum from their previous meeting during the G7 Summit in Canada just months earlier . 

This agreement marks a strategic expansion beyond traditional areas of collaboration, positioning both nations for technological synergy in increasingly contested domains. The discussions also advanced cooperation in trade, investment, technology, innovation, energy, and education, reflecting a comprehensive approach to bilateral relations . 

Reinforcing the India-Japan Partnership 

In his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, their first since she assumed leadership in October, Modi focused on bolstering economic and security ties. The leaders discussed bilateral cooperation in innovation, defence, and talent mobility, with Modi emphasizing that “a strong India-Japan partnership is vital for a better planet” . 

The commitment to “enhance trade ties” between the two nations comes at a crucial juncture in Asian geopolitics, where collaborative stability efforts are increasingly valuable. This meeting continued the tradition of Indo-Japanese strategic coordination, particularly significant given both nations’ positions on regional security and economic development. 

The India-Italy Counter-Terrorism Initiative 

One of the most substantive outcomes of Modi’s bilateral diplomacy was the joint initiative with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to combat the financing of terrorism. The ‘India-Italy Joint Initiative to Counter Financing of Terrorism’ represents a significant diplomatic achievement, deepening bilateral cooperation on countering terrorism through collaboration in global and multilateral platforms including the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Global Counter Terrorism Forum (GCTF) . 

Prime Minister Modi characterized this initiative as “a necessary and timely effort, which will strengthen humanity’s fight against terrorism and its support networks” . This agreement reflects India’s continued emphasis on international cooperation against terrorism, a persistent security priority for New Delhi. 

Solidifying South-South Cooperation 

Modi’s meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa extended beyond ceremonial pleasantries, though Ramaphosa did humorously remark that Modi should have warned him about “how difficult hosting the G20 is” . The leaders reviewed the “full range of the India-South Africa partnership,” with particular focus on boosting linkages in commerce, culture, investment, and diversifying cooperation in technology, skilling, AI, and critical minerals . 

This meeting underscored the continuing solidarity among Global South nations, with Ramaphosa acknowledging that the foundations for South Africa’s G20 successes were laid by previous hosts Indonesia, India, and Brazil . 

India’s Strategic Positioning on Ukraine 

While the G20 summit featured extensive behind-the-scenes discussions about the U.S. peace plan for Ukraine—a 28-point proposal that would require Kyiv to cede territory and accept military limitations—India maintained its consistent position favoring “peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomacy” . 

This stance aligns with India’s approach since the beginning of the conflict, recently articulated in the August 2025 India-Ukraine Joint Statement, where both nations reiterated “their readiness for further cooperation in upholding principles of international law, including the UN Charter, such as respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of states” . 

As Western leaders expressed concern that the proposed limitations on Ukraine’s armed forces would “leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attack” and emphasized that “borders must not be changed by force”. India’s position reflects its balancing act between historical relationships and principled stands on territorial integrity . 

Table: Key Bilateral Agreements Forged by India at G20 Summit 

Championing the Global South and Technology Governance 

Beyond bilateral engagements, Prime Minister Modi used the G20 platform to advance broader priorities affecting developing nations. He joined other developing nations in pushing for meaningful climate action and debt relief, issues directly impacting the Global South . 

In perhaps his most significant multilateral intervention, Modi called for a global compact on artificial intelligence that would prevent its misuse while ensuring that critical technologies remain human-centric rather than finance-centric. He argued that technology applications should be “global” rather than “national,” and based on “open source” rather than “exclusive models” . 

Modi specifically advocated for strict restrictions on using AI for creating deepfakes, criminal activities, and terrorism. His proposition that AI governance should be based on core principles of “human oversight, safety by design and transparency” positioned India as a thought leader in the global technology governance conversation, reflecting his consistent emphasis on ensuring technological development aligns with human values . 

The Unspoken Narrative: Strategic Autonomy in a Divided World 

The Johannesburg G20 summit revealed the deepening fractures in global governance architectures. With the United States boycotting the meeting entirely, and European leaders expressing unified concern about American peace proposals for Ukraine that they believed would reward Russian aggression, the forum demonstrated the challenges of multilateral consensus in today’s geopolitics . 

Within this context, India’s diplomacy reflected its continuing commitment to strategic autonomy—engaging with all sides while avoiding entrapment in others’ conflicts. Modi’s bilateral meetings advanced practical cooperation without ideological positioning, focusing instead on concrete national interests. 

This approach was particularly evident in the contrast between the Ukraine peace discussions—where European leaders demanded revisions to the U.S. proposal—and Modi’s focus on developmental issues and bilateral partnerships that would advance India’s economic and security interests regardless of how the Ukraine situation resolves . 

Table: India’s Multilateral Priorities at G20 Summit 

Legacy and the Road Ahead 

As the G20 presidency transitions from South Africa to the United States (in 2026) and then to the United Kingdom (in 2027), India’s role in shaping the agenda continues to be significant . South African President Ramaphosa explicitly acknowledged that the foundations for the Johannesburg summit were laid by “the foundations that those three countries of the Global South put in place”—Indonesia, India, and Brazil . 

This recognition underscores India’s enduring influence in shaping the G20’s evolution as a forum that increasingly addresses concerns beyond those of traditional Western powers. Modi’s emphasis on “a global compact to prevent misuse of artificial intelligence” builds on his previous advocacy for digital public infrastructure and technological access for developing nations . 

The IBSA grouping (India, Brazil, South Africa), which Modi described as “no ordinary grouping” that “connects three large democratic powers and three major economies,” received renewed attention during the summit, potentially signaling its revitalization as a platform for coordination among these major democracies of the Global South . 

Conclusion: India’s Calculated Diplomacy in a Transitional World Order 

Prime Minister Modi’s engagements at the G20 summit reflected a mature foreign policy that recognizes India’s unique position in an increasingly multipolar world. While major powers debated the future of Ukraine, India advanced bilateral relationships that serve its economic and security interests, positioned itself as a voice for the Global South on climate and debt issues, and asserted leadership in technology governance. 

The outcomes—from the counter-terrorism initiative with Italy to expanded defense cooperation with Canada and Japan—demonstrate New Delhi’s ability to pursue practical diplomacy amid global divisions. As the international order continues its uncertain evolution, India’s Johannesburg performance suggests a nation increasingly confident in its capacity to shape outcomes rather than merely respond to them. 

The true success of Modi’s diplomacy at the summit may ultimately be measured not in immediate agreements but in the strengthened partnerships that will influence global governance in the years ahead, particularly as India continues its rise as both a regional power and an increasingly influential global voice.