Prime Minister Modi called for a "revisit and reassessment" of global development parameters at the G20 Summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa—the first time the African continent hosted the event. 

He emphasised that the current development models have left large populations deprived of resources and have encouraged the over-exploitation of nature, particularly impacting Africa and the Global South.

Modi proposed that India’s civilizational values, specifically the principle of Integral Humanism, which views humans, society, and nature as an integrated whole, provide a meaningful way forward to achieve harmony between progress and the environment.

He outlined several key initiatives to promote inclusive and sustainable growth. These included the creation of a G20 Global Traditional Knowledge Repository to preserve and transmit collective wisdom, building on India's own Indian Knowledge Systems initiative.

Modi also proposed the G20-Africa Skills Multiplier Initiative, aiming to train one million certified trainers in Africa over the next decade to build local capacity and empower youth through a "train-the-trainers" model. Additionally, he called for the formation of a G20 Global Healthcare Response Team consisting of trained medical experts from member nations to enable rapid deployment during health emergencies or natural disasters.

Addressing the global threat of drug trafficking, especially the spread of dangerous substances like fentanyl that fuel terrorism, Modi advocated for a G20 Initiative on Countering the Drug-Terror Nexus. This initiative would unify financial, governance, and security instruments to weaken the drug-terror economy.

Modi praised South Africa's presidency for advancing critical issues such as skilled migration, tourism, food security, AI, digital economy, innovation, and women’s empowerment. He reaffirmed India's solidarity with Africa, highlighting that during India’s G20 Presidency the African Union became a permanent G20 member and stressing the importance of amplifying the voice of the Global South and fostering global cooperation.

The G20 Summit in Johannesburg, running from 22-23 November 2025, was thus a pivotal platform where Modi pushed for a more inclusive, sustainable, human-centred approach to development and international collaboration.

Reassessing Development Parameters

Prime Minister Modi highlighted the need to rethink growth models that have historically excluded many and degraded natural resources. Integral Humanism, a principle from Indian civilizational values, should inspire development frameworks that integrate humans, society, and nature for balanced progress.

Key Proposed Initiatives

G20 Global Traditional Knowledge Repository: A platform to conserve and pass on global traditional knowledge to benefit health and wellbeing.

G20-Africa Skills Multiplier Initiative: Aim to produce one million certified trainers in Africa within ten years to empower youth and build developmental capacity locally.

G20 Global Healthcare Response Team: A rapid deployment medical expert team for health emergencies and disasters.

G20 Initiative On Countering Drug-Terror Nexus: Tackling drug trafficking and its links to terrorism by coordinating finance, governance, and security measures.

Global South And Africa Focus

Modi praised the permanent inclusion of the African Union in the G20 during India's previous presidency and called for widening Africa and the Global South’s influence in global governance. He recognised Africa's young demographic as a vital asset for global development and underscored India’s longstanding solidarity with the continent.

Commendation of South Africa's Leadership

Acknowledgement was given to South Africa for its presidency efforts, which advanced topics like skilled migration, food security, innovation, AI, and women’s empowerment, furthering progress initiated during the New Delhi G20 Summit.

This address set a clear agenda for inclusive, sustainable growth that prioritises human values and global cooperation while tackling urgent challenges like health crises and the drug-terror economic nexus.​​

Based On ANI Report