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Politics & Governance22 Oct 2026 · about 7 min

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addresses the NDTV World Summit 2026 in New Delhi

The brief

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India’s role is to help build a more inclusive and resilient world order. India should strengthen its own capabilities while working with other countries. He presented Viksit Bharat as both a promise to Indians and a guarantee of a better world. This matters because global institutions and older systems are struggling with today’s crises. The speech linked India’s role to practical cooperation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, India supplied vaccines and medicines to over 100 nations, even as wealthier countries focused inward. Modi also cited India’s work as a Vishwa-Bandhu, guided by Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas. He said India now collaborates globally as a “brain office,” not only as a back office. Modi called for stronger global institutions, a greater Global South voice, and cooperation that survives crises. India’s future contribution therefore combines domestic strength with international responsibility. The speech presents India as a country building capacity at home so it can support stability, development, and cooperation abroad.

01

What did Prime Minister Narendra Modi say about India's role in the changing world order at the NDTV World Summit 2026?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India’s role is to help build a more inclusive and resilient world order. India should strengthen its own capabilities while working with other countries. He presented Viksit Bharat as both a promise to Indians and a guarantee of a better world. This matters because global institutions and older systems are struggling with today’s crises.

The speech linked India’s role to practical cooperation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, India supplied vaccines and medicines to over 100 nations, even as wealthier countries focused inward. Modi also cited India’s work as a Vishwa-Bandhu, guided by Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas. He said India now collaborates globally as a “brain office,” not only as a back office.

Modi called for stronger global institutions, a greater Global South voice, and cooperation that survives crises. India’s future contribution therefore combines domestic strength with international responsibility. The speech presents India as a country building capacity at home so it can support stability, development, and cooperation abroad.

02

What is a “world order,” and why do leaders say the existing one is changing?

A world order is the broad system through which countries manage power, rules, institutions, cooperation, and conflict. It includes organizations such as the United Nations and the expectations that guide international behavior. Leaders discuss it because that system affects ordinary people, not only diplomats. The Prime Minister said global shifts now directly influence daily life.

The article describes a major change after the Second World War. The United Nations was created so dialogue and cooperation could replace raw power. Since then, new economies, technologies, and countries outside the original decision-making group have gained importance. Older institutions did not adapt quickly enough. Trade, technology, and sea routes have also shifted from connectors into arenas of weaponization and geopolitical tension.

The result is pressure for a more inclusive order. Existing institutions must better reflect current realities and remain useful during crises. The speech therefore connects a changing world order with reform, wider representation, and cooperation that does not disappear when conditions become difficult.

03

What are multilateral institutions such as the United Nations, and why does India argue that they need reform?

Multilateral institutions are organizations in which several countries make rules, coordinate action, and address shared problems. The United Nations is a central example. The article says it was founded after the Second World War on the belief that dialogue and cooperation should replace raw power. Such institutions matter because crises cross borders and cannot be managed effectively by one country alone.

India’s argument is that these institutions have not adapted to major changes. New economies, technologies, and nations have risen, but many remain outside the original decision-making structure. The article also says trade, technology, and sea routes have become linked to weaponization, conflict, and geopolitical tension. These developments expose gaps between institutions and present-day realities.

Reform would make global decision-making more representative and effective. Modi called for due space for the Global South and cooperation that remains strong during severe crises. The speech says an effective consensus among all stakeholders is essential. This approach aims to prevent stronger actors from overwhelming weaker ones.

04

Who are the Global South countries, and why is the Prime Minister calling for them to have a stronger voice in global decision-making?

The Global South is a broad term for developing and emerging countries, mainly across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and parts of the Middle East. It describes shared concerns about development, representation, debt, technology, trade, and crisis response. The term is not a single political bloc, and countries within it have different interests. This explanation uses established world knowledge beyond the article’s definition.

The article says global institutions did not adapt as new economies and nations rose outside the original decision-making table. It therefore calls for due space for the Global South in global institutions. A stronger voice would let these countries help shape rules that affect them, rather than mainly accepting decisions made elsewhere.

Modi also connected representation with practical cooperation. During the pandemic, India supplied vaccines and medicines to over 100 nations. He argued that international cooperation must work during severe crises, not only favorable periods. Greater representation could make global responses more legitimate, balanced, and responsive to countries’ real conditions.

05

How many countries did India supply with vaccines and medicines during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the speech?

India supplied vaccines and medicines to over 100 nations during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech. The figure was used to illustrate India’s approach to international responsibility. It also supported his broader argument that global cooperation should focus on the collective well-being of humankind, especially during severe crises.

The key mechanism was practical assistance across borders. India used its capacity to provide health supplies while, in Modi’s account, wealthier countries often looked inward. He connected this action with the idea of preventing Matsya Nyaya, an Arthashastra image in which the big fish swallows the small. In global terms, the principle rejects a system where stronger countries dominate weaker ones.

The example shapes India’s stated role in the changing world order. It suggests that capability should be used for wider stability, not only national advantage. Modi argued that international cooperation must remain reliable during crises. The article gives no further breakdown of the countries or supplies involved.

06

What can happen to global stability and supply chains if international cooperation breaks down during a major crisis?

When international cooperation breaks down during a major crisis, countries may prioritize themselves instead of coordinating supplies, information, and transport. That can create shortages, delays, price pressures, and unequal access. These supply-chain effects are established general consequences; the article itself directly describes distrust, division, and self-interest during COVID-19 rather than listing every supply-chain result.

The pandemic provides the article’s clearest example. Modi recalled deep global divisions and a trust deficit when champions of globalization put self-interest first. Against that pattern, India supplied vaccines and medicines to over 100 nations. Cooperation helped move essential support across borders, while inward-looking behavior risked leaving weaker countries more exposed.

The forward lesson is that international systems must function during bad times, not only during favorable periods. Stronger institutions, broader representation, and consensus among stakeholders can reduce uncertainty. Reliable cooperation can help countries share critical goods and manage shocks; its failure can magnify disruptions and deepen geopolitical tension.

07

How can a self-reliant, economically strong, and skilled India contribute to prosperity and stability beyond its own borders?

A self-reliant, economically strong, and skilled India can contribute beyond its borders by producing solutions, sharing expertise, and supporting international cooperation. Strong domestic capabilities give a country more room to help during crises. Modi framed Viksit Bharat as not only a promise for India’s people, but also a guarantee of a better world. The connection between domestic development and global prosperity is central to the speech.

The article gives a concrete health example. During COVID-19, India supplied vaccines and medicines to over 100 nations. It also describes India’s wider shift from a “back office” to a “brain office,” meaning a partner contributing knowledge and capability, not just services. These examples show how national capacity can become international support.

The future implication is a more active Indian role in global problem-solving. India can help strengthen institutions and crisis cooperation while representing the Global South more forcefully. The speech’s vision combines Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas with Vishwa-Bandhu: development at home linked to stability and shared progress abroad.

This brief was written by AI from the original reporting and checked by other models. Names, figures and quotes come from the source; read it for full context.

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