Old and the new
There was a time when speaking of India’s civilisational past in policy circles invited a knowing smile, sometimes a pitying one.
There was a time when speaking of India’s civilisational past in policy circles invited a knowing smile, sometimes a pitying one.
In August 2025, S&P Global Ratings upgraded India’s sovereign credit rating from BBB ~ to BBB ~ the first such elevation in eighteen years.
Widening disparities in income and wealth both within and across countries have become among the most pressing global challenges of our time. As inequalities deepen, the call for coordinated international action has only grown louder, highlighting the need for shared commitment and collective responsibility.
New Delhi is expected to follow the development closely, given India’s own recent presidency and sustained role in shaping G20 priorities.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Friday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi whether he would “take up South Africa’s cause” with US President Donald Trump after Trump announced that South Africa would not be invited to the 2026 G20 summit to be hosted in Miami.
US President Donald Trump has said that South Africa will not be invited to the 2026 G20 Summit in Miami, announcing the decision while sharply criticising the South African government over what he described as "horrific Human Rights abuses."
Participating in the meeting, Prime Minister Modi, stressing the need for global governance reforms, particularly in the UN Security Council, said,"IBSA is not just a group of three countries, but an important platform connecting three continents, three major democratic nations, and three major economies."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday left for a three-day visit to South Africa to attend the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, the first time the gathering is being held on the African continent. He is expected to present India’s perspective across key sessions and meet several world leaders on the sidelines.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi touches down in Johannesburg later this week for the G20 Leaders’ Summit, he enters not just another multilateral gathering but a scene charged with geopolitical significance.
India's rising stature in the geopolitical arena, coupled with its burgeoning economic and military strength, necessitates a strategic rethink in how it perceives and secures its interests.
