IBSA’s renewed relevance: India reclaims leadership of the Global South

As the world grapples with fragmented geopolitical equations and renewed debates on the fairness of global governance, the IndiaBrazil-South Africa (IBSA) forum is quietly reemerging as a potent coalition of democracies. During the recent G20 Summit in Johannesburg, the first ever held on African soil, IBSA leaders met on the sidelines, and the tone of their conversation revealed a new ambition to place the Global South firmly at the centre of global decision-making.

- DR RAVI RAMESHCHANDRA & SHREYA SINGH KASANA

India, in particular, used the moment to signal that it is ready to shoulder greater responsibility in shaping a fairer world order. This includes enhanced climate governance, the peaceful resolution of conflicts, and long-awaited reforms in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described IBSA as far more than a three-country arrangement; he called it a bridge linking three continents, three large democracies, and three rising economies. His message was unmistakable: the Global South has endured decades of under-representation in international institutions, and IBSA is positioned to challenge that inequity. Modi argued that reforming global bodies, especially the United Nations Security Council, is not a matter of political convenience but a necessity long overdue for the twenty-first century. The UNSC requires both ‘structural’ and ‘functional’ reforms to address the conflicts, war, violence and arms race more effectively and democratically.

This reinvigorated role for IBSA comes on the heels of four consecutive G20 presidencies held by Global South countries, three of which are India, Brazil, and South Africa, which are IBSA members. This continuity has generated a natural momentum, and the grouping appears eager to capitalize on it. Modis interventions were not abstract appeals but came paired with concrete proposals that could transform IBSA from a consultative forum into a hub for actionable development cooperation. Though the US President Donald Trump's absence ended the G20 summit on an unpleasant note, as the next host, he was expected to receive the baton from the President of South Africa.