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India’s outreach to the Global South
PM’s Multinational Tour to Africa and South America
Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to embark on a landmark visit to five countries across Africa and South America. This tour underscores India’s intent to enhance South-South cooperation, strengthen bilateral ties with key nations, and engage in reform-oriented multilateral diplomacy.
Visit to Ghana
- The PM’s trip marks the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ghana in over three decades, symbolising a strategic outreach to West Africa.
- Ghana, one of the region’s fastest-growing economies, shares strong trade ties with India, which is the largest destination for Ghanaian exports—mainly gold (70% of India’s imports from Ghana).
Visit to Trinidad & Tobago
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- The PM’s first visit to Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) as Prime Minister highlights India’s cultural diplomacy and outreach to the Caribbean Indian diaspora, which makes up 40–45% of T&T’s population.
- The visit commemorates 180 years of Indian arrival in the Caribbean nation.
- PM Modi will meet PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar and President Christine Carla Kangaloo, both of Indian origin, to deepen economic and cultural ties.
- The PM’s first visit to Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) as Prime Minister highlights India’s cultural diplomacy and outreach to the Caribbean Indian diaspora, which makes up 40–45% of T&T’s population.
- Bilateral trade reached $341.61 million in FY 2024–25, with continued growth expected.
Argentina’s Visit
- The PMi’s first bilateral visit to Argentina in 57 years is set to enhance strategic cooperation.
- He will meet President Javier Milei, with whom he previously interacted at the G20 Summit 2024.
- Key focus areas include:
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- Defence collaboration
- Agriculture, oil & gas
- Mining and green energy (especially lithium cooperation)
- India was Argentina’s fifth-largest trading partner in 2024, importing critical agricultural and mineral commodities.
India’s Agenda at the BRICS Summit in Brazil
- The PM will attend the BRICS 2025 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, hosted by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
- India is expected to focus on:
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- Global governance reforms
- Peace and security
- Responsible AI and tech governance
- Climate action and global health equity
- Following the summit, PM Modi will undertake a State Visit to Brasilia to strengthen India-Brazil ties in defence, agriculture, energy, trade, space, and health.
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- Brazil is India’s top trading partner in South America.
Importance of Visit to Namibia
- The PM’s visit to Namibia—his first—aims to deepen India’s engagement in southern Africa.
- India’s ties with Namibia include:
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- Rapidly growing trade (from <$3 million in 2000 to nearly $600 million now)
- Indian investments in mining, manufacturing, diamond processing
- Flagship cheetah translocation initiative from Namibia to India in 2022, showcasing ecological diplomacy
What Does the Tour Signal About India’s Global South Strategy?
- The tour reinforces India’s growing role as a leader of the Global South.
- By engaging with key economies and diaspora-rich nations across two continents, India is promoting:
- Strategic bilateralism
- Multilateral reform leadership through BRICS
- Energy and resource security
- Diaspora diplomacy
