PM Modi at IBSA Summit: Strengthening India-Brazil-South Africa Partnership Through Institutional Reform and Digital Innovation in South Africa

The India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Leaders' Meeting held in South Africa on 23 November 2025 marked a significant moment in trilateral cooperation amongst three of the world's most vibrant democracies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's participation in this crucial summit underscored India's commitment to strengthening South-South cooperation, promoting multilateral institutional reform, and building collaborative frameworks addressing contemporary global challenges. The IBSA forum, established in 2003, represents a unique platform connecting three continents, three major democratic powers, and three significant economies committed to inclusive development, democratic governance, and equitable global order.

PM Modi's remarks at the IBSA Leaders' Meeting articulated a comprehensive vision for enhanced cooperation across multiple domains including digital innovation, counter-terrorism, institutional reform, and sustainable development. His emphasis on institutional reform as a prerogative rather than an option resonated with the shared aspirations of IBSA member nations for a more representative, responsive, and equitable global governance architecture. The summit discussions addressed pressing contemporary challenges whilst identifying opportunities for deepening collaboration amongst nations that collectively represent over 1.6 billion people and significant economic potential across three continents.

IBSA: A Vital Platform Connecting Three Continents and Democratic Powers

PM Modi characterised IBSA as a vital platform that uniquely connects three continents, three major democratic powers, and three significant economies. This trilateral forum brings together India from Asia, Brazil from South America, and South Africa from Africa, creating a distinctive South-South cooperation mechanism that transcends geographical boundaries. The significance of this connectivity extends beyond mere geography, representing a convergence of democratic values, developmental aspirations, and commitment to multilateralism rooted in equity and justice.

The IBSA partnership acknowledges that India, Brazil, and South Africa, despite their geographical separation, face remarkably similar developmental challenges including poverty reduction, inequality mitigation, infrastructure development, healthcare access, education quality improvement, and sustainable economic growth. These shared challenges create natural opportunities for collaborative problem-solving, knowledge exchange, and mutual learning. Successful innovations and policy approaches developed in one member country can be adapted and implemented in others, accelerating developmental progress across all three nations.

The democratic character of all three IBSA members constitutes another fundamental dimension of the partnership's significance. India, Brazil, and South Africa represent large, diverse, multiethnic democracies that have successfully maintained democratic governance despite significant socioeconomic challenges. Their collective experience demonstrates that democracy is not a Western monopoly but a universal governance system adaptable to diverse cultural contexts. IBSA nations' commitment to democratic principles including free elections, constitutional governance, independent judiciary, press freedom, and protection of minority rights positions them as authentic voices for democratic values in global forums.

Economically, IBSA members represent significant markets and emerging economies with substantial growth potential. India's rapidly expanding economy, Brazil's resource wealth and industrial capacity, and South Africa's position as Africa's most industrialised nation create complementarities for economic cooperation. The collective economic weight of IBSA nations provides leverage in global economic negotiations, enabling them to advocate effectively for developing country interests in institutions like the World Trade Organisation, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank.

Deep and Enduring Partnership: Diversity, Shared Values, and Common Aspirations

PM Modi emphasised that IBSA represents a deep and enduring partnership rooted in diversity, shared values, and shared aspirations. This characterisation acknowledges that whilst the three nations differ significantly in geography, culture, language, and historical experiences, they are united by fundamental commonalities that create strong foundations for sustained cooperation. The diversity amongst IBSA members, rather than constituting an obstacle, enriches the partnership by bringing varied perspectives, experiences, and capabilities to collaborative endeavours.

The shared values binding IBSA nations include commitment to democratic governance, respect for human rights, belief in multilateralism, adherence to international law, support for sustainable development, and dedication to poverty eradication. These values differentiate IBSA from partnerships based primarily on strategic interests or economic calculations, providing the partnership with moral foundations and long-term sustainability. When member nations face global challenges or make collective interventions in international forums, they do so from positions grounded in principled commitment rather than opportunistic calculation.

Shared aspirations constitute another crucial dimension of IBSA partnership cohesion. All three nations aspire to achieve inclusive economic development that benefits all segments of their populations, not merely urban elites. They seek to eradicate poverty, improve healthcare and education access, build world-class infrastructure, develop technological capabilities, and ensure environmental sustainability. These developmental aspirations create natural convergence in policy priorities and create opportunities for collaborative initiatives addressing common challenges.

The enduring character of IBSA partnership reflects recognition that the forum addresses fundamental rather than transient interests. Unlike partnerships formed in response to specific crises or temporary alignments, IBSA represents a strategic commitment to long-term cooperation addressing persistent developmental challenges and structural global governance deficits. This long-term orientation enables IBSA members to invest in building institutional mechanisms, implementing sustained collaborative projects, and developing deep relationships that withstand inevitable changes in global circumstances and domestic politics.

Institutional Reform: A Prerogative, Not an Option

One of PM Modi's most significant statements at the IBSA summit declared that institutional reform is not an option but a prerogative. This emphatic formulation articulates the growing conviction amongst emerging powers that the post-World War II global institutional architecture, whilst valuable in many respects, no longer adequately represents contemporary global realities. Institutions including the United Nations Security Council, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organisation were designed for a world dramatically different from today's multipolar reality.

The case for institutional reform rests on multiple grounds including legitimacy, effectiveness, and equity. Current institutional arrangements grant disproportionate power to countries whose relative global economic and demographic weight has declined significantly since these institutions were established. The permanent membership and veto powers in the UN Security Council, for instance, reflect 1945 power realities rather than 21st-century distributions of population, economic capacity, and global contributions. This growing disconnect between institutional power structures and contemporary realities undermines these institutions' legitimacy and effectiveness.

IBSA nations, representing major regions and significant populations, have particular stakes in institutional reform. India, with over 1.4 billion people, lacks permanent representation in the UN Security Council, whilst countries with far smaller populations hold permanent seats with veto powers. This situation exemplifies the democratic deficit in global governance, where institutions claiming to represent the international community systematically exclude or marginalise nations representing vast populations. Brazil and South Africa face similar exclusions despite their regional significance and contributions to global peace and development.

PM Modi's characterisation of reform as a prerogative rather than option signals that emerging powers will no longer patiently await permission for changes that justice and contemporary realities demand. The term "prerogative" implies an inherent right rather than a favour to be granted by current power holders. This assertive stance reflects growing confidence amongst emerging economies and recognition that continued exclusion from decision-making authority in global institutions is unsustainable. IBSA nations collectively advocating for institutional reform amplifies their individual voices and strengthens the broader coalition of nations demanding more equitable global governance.

No Room for Double Standards in the Fight Against Terrorism

PM Modi forcefully declared that in the fight against terrorism, there can be no room for double standards. This statement addresses a persistent frustration amongst nations suffering from terrorism: the tendency of some countries to differentiate between terrorist groups based on whether they target friends or adversaries. Such selective approaches to counter-terrorism undermine collective security efforts, enable terrorist networks to find sanctuary, and perpetuate the conditions allowing terrorism to flourish.

The double standards in counter-terrorism manifest in various ways including reluctance to designate certain terrorist organisations, failure to act against terror financiers, distinguishing between "good" and "bad" terrorists, and applying different standards when evaluating terrorism versus when evaluating responses to terrorism. These inconsistencies create environments where terrorist groups exploit divisions amongst nations, relocate to permissive jurisdictions, and continue operations despite international counter-terrorism efforts.

India has long advocated for comprehensive, consistent approaches to counter-terrorism that judge terrorist acts by their character rather than perpetrators' identities or targets' nationalities. This principled stance insists that all terrorism, regardless of purported justifications or political contexts, constitutes unacceptable violence against civilians deserving unequivocal condemnation and coordinated response. The Indian experience with cross-border terrorism, particularly emanating from Pakistan, informs this uncompromising position and determination to eliminate double standards that enable terrorism.

The IBSA platform provides an important venue for building consensus on principled counter-terrorism approaches. Brazil and South Africa, whilst their terrorism experiences differ from India's, recognise that terrorism constitutes a global threat requiring coordinated responses free from political calculations and double standards. IBSA members' collective advocacy for consistent counter-terrorism standards, including in forums like the UN Security Council, Financial Action Task Force, and regional security organisations, strengthens global counter-terrorism frameworks and reduces spaces where terrorist networks find sanctuary.

PM Modi's emphasis on eliminating double standards in counter-terrorism also relates to institutional reform advocacy. India's frustration with inconsistent counter-terrorism approaches, particularly in the UN Security Council where geopolitical considerations sometimes override counter-terrorism imperatives, reinforces conviction that institutional reforms are essential. A more representative Security Council, including IBSA nations as permanent members, would likely demonstrate greater consistency in addressing terrorism regardless of perpetrators' locations or victims' identities.

IBSA Digital Innovation Alliance: Sharing Technology for Development

PM Modi proposed establishing an IBSA Digital Innovation Alliance through which digital public infrastructure such as India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI), health platforms like CoWIN, cybersecurity frameworks, and women-led technology initiatives can be shared across the three countries. This proposal recognises that digital technologies offer unprecedented opportunities for accelerating development, improving governance, expanding financial inclusion, enhancing healthcare delivery, and empowering marginalised populations.

India's digital public infrastructure initiatives have demonstrated how technology can be leveraged for inclusive development at scale. The UPI has revolutionised digital payments in India, enabling seamless, instantaneous financial transactions through mobile devices. This technology has dramatically expanded financial inclusion, bringing millions of previously unbanked individuals into the formal financial system. The success of UPI in India offers valuable lessons and replicable models for Brazil and South Africa, where significant populations similarly lack access to traditional banking services.

The CoWIN platform, developed to manage India's massive COVID-19 vaccination drive, exemplifies how digital platforms can coordinate complex healthcare interventions across vast populations. CoWIN facilitated appointment scheduling, vaccine inventory management, certificate generation, and real-time monitoring of vaccination progress across India's diverse geography. The platform's architecture and implementation experience offer valuable resources for IBSA partners developing their own digital health infrastructure for vaccination programmes, disease surveillance, or health record management.

Cybersecurity cooperation represents another crucial dimension of the proposed Digital Innovation Alliance. As IBSA nations rapidly expand digital infrastructure and online service delivery, they face growing cyber threats from criminal networks, state actors, and terrorist organisations. Collaborative development of cybersecurity frameworks, information sharing about emerging threats, joint capacity building for cybersecurity professionals, and coordinated responses to major cyber incidents would enhance all three nations' digital resilience whilst reducing vulnerabilities that adversaries might exploit.

The emphasis on women-led technology initiatives within the proposed alliance acknowledges that digital inclusion must address gender disparities. Women in developing countries often face greater barriers to technology access and digital literacy, limiting their participation in digital economies and online public services. Sharing successful approaches for promoting women's technology adoption, supporting women technology entrepreneurs, and designing gender-inclusive digital services would advance both technological development and gender equity across IBSA nations.

IBSA's Message of Unity in a Fragmented World

PM Modi observed that today's world appears fragmented and divided on many fronts, positioning IBSA as capable of offering a message of unity, cooperation, and humanity. This characterisation acknowledges the concerning trends towards nationalist isolationism, protectionism, great power competition, and multilateral institution weakening that have characterised recent international relations. In such contexts, platforms like IBSA that demonstrate successful cooperation amongst diverse nations across continents offer important counterexamples and alternative visions.

The fragmentation PM Modi referenced manifests across multiple dimensions including trade conflicts, technology decoupling, geopolitical rivalries, climate change negotiations, and pandemic responses. Rather than cooperating to address shared challenges, nations increasingly pursue narrow interests through unilateral actions, abandon multilateral commitments, and retreat into competing blocs. This fragmentation undermines collective action on transnational challenges including climate change, pandemic preparedness, terrorism, and cyber threats that cannot be effectively addressed through isolated national actions.

IBSA's message of unity derives from its demonstrated ability to sustain cooperation amongst nations differing in geography, culture, and immediate strategic interests. The forum proves that nations need not share borders, cultural affinities, or military alliances to collaborate effectively on developmental challenges, democratic governance, and equitable global order advocacy. IBSA cooperation rests on shared values and common aspirations rather than against-whom alliances or exclusive blocs, making it an inclusive rather than exclusionary platform.

The emphasis on cooperation and humanity in PM Modi's remarks reflects recognition that contemporary global challenges require collaborative solutions prioritising human welfare over geopolitical competition. Climate change threatens all nations regardless of their power or wealth; pandemics respect no borders; terrorism can strike anywhere; and economic crises in one region cascade globally. These realities demand that nations cooperate based on shared humanity rather than fragment into competing camps pursuing narrow advantages.

IBSA nations' status as large, diverse democracies positions them as particularly credible messengers for unity and cooperation. Their democratic credentials enable them to advocate for values-based international relations without appearing to impose alien systems. Their developmental challenges and emerging economy status allow them to speak authentically about developing country concerns whilst their growing capabilities demonstrate developing nations can be contributors to rather than merely consumers of global public goods.

Responsibility and Strength as Three Democratic Nations

PM Modi concluded his remarks by emphasising that offering messages of unity, cooperation, and humanity represents both the responsibility and the strength of the three democratic nations within IBSA. This formulation acknowledges that India, Brazil, and South Africa's democratic characters impose certain obligations whilst simultaneously providing capabilities and credibility unavailable to non-democratic regimes. Democratic nations bear responsibility to uphold and promote principles including peaceful conflict resolution, respect for sovereignty, adherence to international law, and protection of human rights.

The responsibility dimension reflects understanding that democratic nations, having benefited from freedoms, accountability, and inclusive governance, should advocate for these principles internationally. When democratic nations remain silent about authoritarianism, human rights violations, or aggressive behaviour by powerful states, they betray their own foundational values and undermine global democratic norms. IBSA members' collective voice on behalf of democracy, human rights, and peaceful cooperation carries moral authority derived from their own commitments to these principles domestically.

The strength dimension acknowledges that democracy, despite its challenges and imperfections, provides nations with resilience, legitimacy, and soft power unavailable to authoritarian regimes. Democratic governments derive legitimacy from popular consent, making them more stable and less vulnerable to sudden upheavals. Democratic societies' pluralism and openness foster innovation, creativity, and adaptability, enhancing economic dynamism and problem-solving capabilities. These democratic strengths position IBSA nations as attractive partners and credible voices in international forums.

The combination of responsibility and strength suggests that IBSA nations should exercise leadership in promoting cooperative approaches to global challenges. Rather than waiting for traditional powers to provide leadership or direction, emerging democratic powers must proactively shape international agendas, propose innovative solutions, and build coalitions supporting equitable, sustainable, and peaceful global order. The IBSA platform provides institutional infrastructure for exercising this leadership collectively, amplifying member nations' individual voices and capabilities.

Conclusion: IBSA's Role in Shaping a More Equitable Global Order

The IBSA Leaders' Meeting in South Africa, as articulated through PM Modi's remarks, reaffirmed the forum's significance as a platform for South-South cooperation, institutional reform advocacy, and collaborative approaches to contemporary challenges. The meeting's outcomes, including the proposed Digital Innovation Alliance and strengthened commitments to counter-terrorism cooperation, demonstrate IBSA's evolution from a primarily consultative forum to a platform generating concrete collaborative initiatives addressing member nations' developmental priorities.

PM Modi's emphasis on institutional reform as a prerogative rather than option signals growing assertiveness amongst emerging powers demanding equitable representation in global governance structures. IBSA's collective advocacy for Security Council reform, improved representation in international financial institutions, and elimination of double standards in counter-terrorism reflects determination to reshape global institutional architecture to reflect contemporary realities rather than post-World War II power distributions.

The proposed Digital Innovation Alliance exemplifies how IBSA can generate tangible cooperation benefiting member populations through technology sharing, capacity building, and collaborative innovation. Digital technologies offer unprecedented opportunities for accelerating inclusive development, and IBSA cooperation in this domain can help member nations leapfrog traditional development stages whilst avoiding pitfalls that early technology adopters encountered.

IBSA's positioning as a messenger for unity, cooperation, and humanity in a fragmented world reflects both aspiration and necessity. As traditional multilateral frameworks face challenges and great power competition intensifies, platforms demonstrating successful cooperation amongst diverse nations across continents offer important counterexamples to pessimistic narratives about inevitable fragmentation and conflict. IBSA's continued strengthening, expansion of collaborative initiatives, and principled advocacy for equitable global governance can contribute meaningfully to building international order characterised by cooperation, sustainability, and justice rather than competition, exploitation, and domination.

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