Can India emerge as the trusted leader of global south like earlier years?

Narendra Modi’s dilemma increases as he holds the chair of BRICS Summit in 2026

- BY NITYA CHAKRABORTY

The 17th BRICS summit held in Brazil on July 6 and 7 has helped in partially restoring the image of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the defender of the interests of Global South against the increasing attacks on the political and economic interests of the developing nations by the United States of America President Donald Trump

The PM's July 2-9 visit included his official visits to Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina and Namibia. He also was the official guest of the Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, commonly known as Lula, after the end of the summit. The discussions and the agreements signed during the Indian PM's visit to these five countries of the Global South have helped in positioning of India as a friendly big economic power of the Global South.

The main outcome of the joint declaration of the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro was the shift in India's position in strongly condemning the Israeli actions in Gaza as also attacks against Iran. Though US was not named, the signing of India in the resolution was one step forward from its earlier position on both Israeli killings of Palestinians as also the US's unprovoked attack on Iran and dismantling a big part of its nuclear facilities.

Till the BRICS summit on July 6 and 7 this year, India was a suspect in the eyes of the leading nations of the global South including South Africa and Brazil as a trusted ally of Trump and more interested in QUAD than in the functioning of BRICS or SCO. While the Brazil and South African presidents were demanding the arrest of Netanyahu and declaring him as war criminal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi remained silent and the government continued with its plans for expansion of economic and defence relations with Israel. India even allowed Indian workers and techies to take up jobs in Israel during the Israel-Hamas war.