Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched India as a reliable partner and a leader of the Global South at a time when supply chains, trade and technologies that once connected countries have become weaponised.
“The world is confronted with a fundamental question: trust,” Modi said at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi on Tuesday. “Trust that supplies will continue during times of need. Trust that promises made will also be fulfilled. Trust that a partner country will stand by you during moments of crisis.”
Modi also highlighted challenges posed by artificial intelligence, which is sweeping rapidly across sectors and upending India’s vaunted information-technology sector.
Against the backdrop, Modi touted India’s growing economy as a source of opportunity for global investors. He said India would seek to set an example for the world — and in particular for developing nations in the so-called Global South — by sharing public-health and digital technology and by creating opportunities for its citizens.
“Things that connected the world at one time are today being weaponised,” Modi said. “In a world filled with uncertainty, India offers the assurance of reliability and stability.”
For Modi, a success metric has been the country’s robust growth path, with the prime minister aiming to make India a developed nation by 2047.
Hours ahead of Modi’s address, the International Monetary Fund raised its growth forecast for India to 7 per cent for fiscal 2027.