On the sidelines of the ongoing G-20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the IBSA Leaders’ Meeting today. At the meeting, PM Modi proposed the creation of an ‘IBSA Digital Innovation Alliance,’ aiming to facilitate the sharing of cutting-edge Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) among India, Brazil, and South Africa.
Notably, IBSA is an international tripartite forum bringing together India, Brazil, and South Africa representing South–South cooperation. PM Modi said that IBSA is not just a group of three countries, but an important platform connecting three continents, three major democratic nations, and three major economies, emphasizing IBSA’s role in promoting sustainable development and complementing global progress.
The trilateral summit, hosted by South African president Cyril Ramaphosa, was attended by PM Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The leaders deliberated on pressing global issues, including reforms to the United Nations Security Council, coordinated counter-terrorism efforts without double standards, the role of technology in human-centric development, and the establishment of norms for artificial intelligence (AI). Discussions also covered sustainable growth initiatives, such as cooperation on millets, natural farming, disaster resilience, green energy, traditional medicines, and health security.
Addressing the gathering, PM Narendra Modi stated that global governance institutions are far removed from 21st century realities, and called for IBSA to send a strong message to reform those organisations, especially the UN Security Council. He said that reforming UNSC is now not an option, but an imperative.
At the heart of Modi’s address was the proposal for the new alliance, designed to pool resources and expertise in digital technologies. He specifically highlighted sharing India’s successes in Unified Payments Interface (UPI), the CoWIN vaccination platform, cybersecurity frameworks, and women-led technology initiatives. He proposed establishing an ‘IBSA Digital Innovation Alliance’ to facilitate sharing of Digital Public Infrastructure like UPI, CoWIN, and others. He also highlighted technology’s crucial role in ensuring human-centric development.
He also emphasized IBSA’s potential to contribute to the development of safe, trustworthy and human-centric AI norms. Prime Minister Modi stated that IBSA can complement each other’s development and become an example for sustainable growth. He highlighted cooperation opportunities in areas such as millets, natural farming, disaster resilience, green energy, traditional medicines and health security.
Appreciating the IBSA Fund’s work in supporting projects across forty countries in sectors like education, health, women empowerment and solar energy, PM Modi also proposed IBSA Fund for Climate Resilient Agriculture to further advance South-South cooperation.
PM Modi also invited his counterparts to India’s upcoming AI Impact Summit next year.
