A world in flux
The world is becoming more disrupted. We seem to be teetering on the edge of more wars, where they take us, is another matter. That will depend, in large part, on where one stands and how one reads the present moment. But we are playing with fire. We are playing with war, and that is dangerous. Anything can happen at any time. Even when a script appears to have been prepared in advance, events may not follow it. In such a game, nothing can be taken for granted.
The contours of global relationships keep changing every other day. Traditional rivals are joining hands; unforeseen alignments are taking shape. Some of these were being earlier dismissed, are progressing, as well – where they take these countries and others along with them, remains to be seen. Even the protagonists remain unaware, fishing as they are, to seek additional advantages.
Take Pakistan’s relationships with Turkey and Saudi Arabia, its new pact with the Maldives, or its ties with the United States. We may also note its fast-evolving relationship with Bangladesh, while maintain a delicate balance between China and America. But these developments point to a larger pattern: every country is trying to balance its interests in a world where old assumptions no longer hold. Much as we are playing our game, so are others.
In such a world, we need a unifying voice, one capable of bridging divides that are growing wider and more fragmented. India is often mentioned as a country capable to rally the Global South and help bridge the distance between competing powers. But what would it take to turn that possibility into a credible role? Can India become this voice for the Global South—a champion of the rights of the have-nots in the wider community of nations? Does it have the ability, the power and the moral force to play that role?
India at the table
India must first protect its own national interests: its economy, its territory and its people, as well as its friends. It must remain vigilant on every front, because it is difficult to say which one will matter most next. At the same time, it has built relationships across very different camps: with Iran and countries across the Middle East while also engaging with Israel; with Russia while working with the United States; as a leading member of BRICS while sustaining the Quad as a strategic partnership.
This calls for constant manoeuvring and careful balance. Some believe India has managed it well; others believe it has repeatedly lost its footing. But the question before us is not whether every decision has been right. It is whether India can sustain and build upon this balancing act—and do more than remain a participant.
There is evidence of India’s ability to convene. In January 2023, it brought leaders and ministers from 125 countries to its Voice of Global South Summit. In September that year, it hosted the G20 Summit in New Delhi, where leaders adopted a declaration by consensus and the African Union became a permanent member of the G20. Three years later, in September 2026, India hosted the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, where the leaders unanimously adopted the New Delhi Declaration. These are significant diplomatic achievements. They show that India can bring very different countries into the same room and help them reach agreement. www.mea.gov.in
But convening is a beginning. Can India turn access into influence? Can it help bring the countries of the Global South closer together, speak to richer nations on their behalf, and mediate among the forces dividing Europe, the Middle East and the wider world? A summit declaration matters; what follows from it matters more.
India’s relationships with Ukraine, Russia and the United States are part of this test. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited India on October 20–21, 2026, his second visit in five months. His engagement is one indication of the importance attached to the relationship. Developments around Russian oil supplies, and the possibility of India refining more Venezuelan crude, also show how closely diplomacy and economic interests can be bound together. These engagements matter to India’s economy and trade. But they raise a larger question: how much influence can India exercise beyond securing its immediate interests? www.mea.gov.in
To be present as a player is one thing. To be an effective voice is another. To have potential is one thing; to deliver is another.
Potential still to be realised
India’s rise in the last few decades has been steady, decisive but yet not fully realised. India’s presence on the global stage is still largely based upon it potential, which is not simply a matter of its population or its place among the world’s largest economies. The United Nations estimated India’s population at 1.44 billion in 2023, and India’s Economic Survey projects that nearly 65 per cent of the population will be in the 15–59 age group by around 2030. That is a vast pool of people who could contribute to growth. The size of the economy too matters. Overlook the GDP, just imagine the size. As the fourth largest economy, it has strength in its numbers. But numbers do not automatically become strength. The test is whether India can provide enough productive work, raise skills, draw more women into the workforce and give people a real stake in economic progress. population.un.org. These are the real tests that we have still to clear.
There are major successes. India has experience it can offer beyond its own borders. Its digital public infrastructure became part of the development agenda during the 2023 G20 Presidency. By February 2026, India had signed agreements or memoranda with 24 countries for cooperation on digital public infrastructure. This gives India something tangible to contribute to discussions about inclusive development. The test is whether that cooperation produces useful systems and better access for people, not simply whether India’s ideas are acknowledged in a declaration. www.pib.gov.in
India has realised a fair part of its potential, but much remains to be done. It must expand its defence capabilities and manufacturing base, build infrastructure, add airports and aircraft, modernise its railways and transform its agricultural sector. Much of this work lies ahead. In many ways, India has yet to open fully to the world.
So where are we? In some ways, we are there; in others, we are not. We have not yet brought all the pieces together. The promise is visible, but it has not yet fully taken shape. India is not yet seen as having delivered that promise—or as being firmly on the way to doing so.
The world wants a voice built on principle
Potential and diplomatic presence alone cannot give India a high moral voice. In a world where national interests and alignments can change within months, broader principles would matter, even though some of the bigger players, are giving self-interest the maximum priority. But yet the opposite is equally true, high consistent ground does give relationships a steadier foundation and make a country’s voice more credible.
India must speak consistently for humanity, peace and the dignity of people. That moral authority has to be earned through the way we act, including when a principle is difficult to uphold. If India is to speak for the have-nots of the world, its voice must be heard as one that stands for larger humanity and their rights, while not only for looking for its own advantage. Delivery of ideals, economic strength, ability to be both secure and defend ourselves – all these being paramount. That potential must be unleashed, holistically, in a manner that says a 360 approach to success. For this we have to work towards a few goals as a people.
- The nation must rise above party politics. We cannot allow ourselves to be consumed by vote share and party politics when the larger task is to build the country and improve the lives of its people.
- Leadership, too, on both sides of the fence, must consider its goals in keeping with the times. What could win an election in 2014 is not necessarily the credential that will win confidence in 2029. Fifteen years can bring great change in people’s aspirations. Leadership both in government and in opposition, must understand that change and respond to it.
- Any global recognition demands becoming the potential that we are as an economic powerhouse. Fix the economy, create more jobs, ensure an inclusive growth. That begins with putting our economic house in order. It means reforms that recognise the private sector’s central role in growth, create the conditions for entrepreneurs to invest, expand and make profit. Their appetite to build businesses and develop the economy must be encouraged. Their animal spirits must be released.
- Trust the entrepreneur. There will be black sheep, but a few cannot be used to paint the entire corporate sector black. Many companies have collapsed amid scandals and allegations of manipulated accounts and embezzlement. That is reason to enforce the law, not to treat every entrepreneur as suspect. The state must not be used at will against defaulters—or against those who disagree with the government politically. It is critical to remove any climate of fear and restore confidence across the corporate sector. And by the corporate sector means every entrepreneur, not only the big names.
- Economic laws must be plain, simple and easy to follow. They should be clear enough to interpret and apply, leaving little room for ambiguity or selective enforcement. The rules must be the same for everyone. Only then can the government show that it is not playing favourites.
- Finally, and perhaps most important of all, India must build an inclusive society. People must feel they are equal partners in the country’s growth, irrespective of colour, creed, caste or religion. If we cannot unite our own people, and if every citizen does not feel included in our national journey, we will never acquire the standing to hold our heads high in the community of nations.
India has the scale to matter, the relationships to engage and a growing record of bringing countries together. Whether it can become a trusted voice for the Global South will depend on what it delivers: in its diplomacy, in its economy and in the confidence and opportunity it creates for its own people.
To become that voice of the Global South, it is not just going to happen on its own. In fact, the opposite may be truer: too many voices will want to submerge ours, drown ours by creating unnecessary noises around, dimmish our stature. We must prepare for the long arduous track, remain persistent, and down to earth.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Navin Berry, Editor, CS Conversations, over five decades has edited publications like CityScan, India Debates and Travel Trends Today. He is the founder of SATTE, India’s first inbound tourism mart, biggest in Asia.
Blogs at: https://www.csconversations.in/nb-blogs
