PM Modi is set to attend the 2025 G20 Summit in South Africa at a time when India finds itself at a pivotal juncture in global diplomacy. The summit offers a platform to deepen ties with African nations while showcasing India’s role as a responsible and proactive global player. As Rajesh Basrur notes in India in a Changing World Order, in a world characterised by multi-polar tensions, shifting economic influence, and rising demands from the Global South for inclusive governance, India’s approach demonstrates a careful balance of strategic pragmatism, normative vision, and developmental foresight.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed India’s presence, stating – “India has been a trusted partner in Africa’s development journey.” Similarly, India’s Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar has often emphasised, several times, that the G20 provides “an opportunity for India to deepen economic and strategic engagement with Africa while promoting inclusive global governance”. The summit is not merely ceremonial but a platform for actionable diplomacy, where India can strengthen its voice in global forums.
Historically, emerging markets have served as levers for global influence. When China’s economy was expanding, it tapped into India’s relatively unexplored markets, creating long-term trade, investment, and strategic linkages. Today, Africa presents a comparable opportunity for India. As per C. Raja Mohan’s Modi’s World, by systematically deepening trade, investing in infrastructure, and promoting technology partnerships, India can expand markets while enhancing soft power, which also strengthens its position in multilateral institutions such as the G20 and BRICS.
Building on this historical perspective, PM Modi is expected to focus on three strategic pillars at the summit: reforming the global financial governance committee, promoting resilient and diversified supply chains, and amplifying the concerns of the Global South. In the words of former Amb. Shyam Sharan, These priorities reflect a combination of realist focus on national interest, liberal faith in institutional frameworks, and constructivist norm-building. India’s strategy blends pragmatic statecraft with normative leadership, linking its national priorities with global equity.
On financial governance, India has consistently advocated for reforms in the IMF, World Bank, and other multilateral institutions to give developing economies a stronger voice. Former Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao noted that India’s push for equitable representation “stems from the recognition that sustainable global growth requires inclusivity in decision-making” – Nirupam Rao(former foreign Secy). PM Modi’s engagement signals India’s proactive approach to shaping global financial frameworks, rather than merely participating in them.
The second pillar, supply chain resilience, has gained importance after recent global disruptions. India emphasise diversification, secure trade routes, and transparent digital governance. The G20 offers a platform for India to form coalitions for resilient supply chains and technology partnerships, enhancing economic leverage as per Former High Commissioner Shivshankar Menon, Choices: Inside the Making of India’s Foreign Policy. He has highlighted that “India’s engagement with Africa is not transactional; it is about building sustainable partnerships”, stressing a long-term strategic vision.
Africa, as a relatively untapped market, mirrors the opportunities China exploited in India two decades ago. By integrating trade promotion with soft power initiatives, such as education, cultural exchange, digital governance, and renewable energy collaboration: India can establish a sustainable and credible presence. Shashi Tharoor emphasises that “Soft power is not peripheral; it is central to India’s strategy to assert itself on the global stage”. The G20 thus becomes a platform for economic strategy, normative influence, and soft power projection simultaneously.
India’s engagement with Africa is further reinforced through technology transfer, renewable energy collaboration, and healthcare capacity-building. PM Modi’s visit is expected to consolidate these partnerships, providing African countries a credible alternative to dependence on other global powers. This strategy embodies Hans Morgenthau’s realist principles of national interest balanced by liberal institutionalist ideas that stress multilateral cooperation and shared gains.
The theoretical foundations of India’s approach are multidimensional. Realism explains India’s focus on power and strategic interest, liberal institutionalism underscores its commitment to multilateral platforms like G20 and BRICS, and constructivism highlights India’s emphasis on norm-setting in development, climate finance, and technology governance. As John Mearsheimer notes, rising powers must navigate both opportunities and constraints; India’s Africa strategy and G20 engagement demonstrate this calculated balancing act.
PM Modi’s visit to South Africa is a strategic, research-oriented exercise in diplomacy. By leveraging lessons from China’s historical market expansion, India can deepen trade ties, expand soft power, and influence multilateral institutions. The visit reflects a holistic strategy, rooted in realism, guided by liberal institutionalism, and inspired by constructivist norms, positioning India as a proactive, responsible, and credible global actor. The outcome of this engagement will shape India-Africa relations, India’s role in global governance, and the wider architecture of the Global South.
Written By – Maitreyaei Upadhyay (Author is a Public Policy and Political Consultant, contemporary Indian Writer and contributor, Interested in Public Policy, Geo-Politics and Politics, that concerns India and anything related to India. X id:- @MaitreyaeiU )
