Diplomacy in Motion: A Day of Intense Bilaterals

The summit’s corridors were as crucial as the plenary rooms. Modi’s round of bilateral meetings signalled India’s widening global profile and its ongoing commitment to deep, functional partnerships.

With Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Modi held what he described as a “very productive conversation,” reaffirming that the India–Singapore relationship remains a pillar of regional stability. His meeting with Angola’s President Joao Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, now chair of the African Union, was marked by warmth and strategic depth; Modi recalled welcoming Lourenço in Delhi earlier in the year and spoke of expanding trade and cultural linkages.

Modi’s engagement with Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim focused on widening bilateral cooperation, while talks with Vietnam’s Prime Minister Ph?m Minh Chính reiterated a shared commitment to a forward-looking partnership in the Indo-Pacific.

On the sidelines, Modi also interacted with a constellation of global leaders: French President Emmanuel Macron, South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Brazilian President Inacio Lula da Silva, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Each meeting underscored India’s active diplomacy and its increasingly central role in shaping the global agenda.

A particularly significant moment came with the launch of the Australia–Canada–India Technology and Innovation (ACITI) Partnership, unveiled alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. This new trilateral initiative seeks to deepen cooperation in frontier technologies, digital public infrastructure, and innovation-driven growth.

A Call for a Fairer Global Architecture

Throughout the summit, Modi underscored a theme that resonates deeply with the Global South: reform of global governance. He reminded leaders that under India’s presidency, the African Union’s inclusion as a permanent G20 member was a landmark step toward a more representative world order. But inclusion, he argued, must be institutionalized, not symbolic.

Modi urged the G20 to ensure that the developing world has a stronger voice in navigating global crises and shaping future solutions—whether in climate negotiations, financial stability, or technology governance.

Closing Notes: A Leader’s Twelfth G20

As the first day closed, Modi expressed gratitude to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for his leadership and hospitality. This summit marked Modi’s twelfth appearance at the G20 Leaders’ Meeting—a testament to India’s sustained, expanding presence in global diplomacy.

In Johannesburg, Modi not only carried forward India’s agenda of human-centric development but also laid out a pragmatic path for a world in flux. His message—equal parts caution, ambition, and optimism—positioned India once again as a country seeking balance between growth and responsibility, innovation and ethics, ambition and sustainability.

—India Empire Bureau