PM Modi Calls For Fresh Global Development Approach At Johannesburg G20; Announces Three Key Initiatives

Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the opening session of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg to call for a fundamental reassessment of global development parameters.

Addressing the theme ‘Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth’, he argued that long-standing models have disproportionately restricted access to resources for large populations, while encouraging unsustainable exploitation of nature. He added that these challenges are particularly acute across Africa.

PM Modi stressed that while the G20 has shaped global finance and growth for years, it must now adopt approaches that prioritise wider participation and environmental balance.

He also highlighted the need for stronger global readiness for health emergencies, proposing mechanisms for collective action.

India Proposes Global Healthcare Response Team

During the summit, India outlined a vision for enhanced global health security through the creation of a Global Healthcare Response Team.

This mechanism would pool trained medical experts from G20 nations to boost emergency preparedness and response capacity worldwide. The initiative, PM Modi noted, would strengthen global public health resilience and ensure coordinated action during crises.

Three Major Initiatives Announced by PM Modi

The Prime Minister presented three new proposals aimed at reshaping global cooperation and knowledge-sharing under the G20 framework.

1. Global Traditional Knowledge Repository

PM Modi proposed establishing a repository to preserve and promote traditional knowledge systems worldwide. Acknowledging that many communities continue to practise eco-balanced and culturally rooted ways of living, he suggested that India’s Indian Knowledge System initiative could serve as the foundation. The repository, he said, would ensure that this collective wisdom is documented and passed on to future generations.

2. G20 Africa Skills Multiplier Initiative

Reaffirming India’s commitment to Africa’s progress, PM Modi introduced the Africa Skills Multiplier Initiative. Through a train-the-trainers model supported by all G20 partners, the initiative aims to produce one million certified trainers within a decade. These trainers would, in turn, help equip millions of African youth with essential skills across sectors, advancing development across the continent.

3. G20 Initiative to Tackle the Drug–Terror Nexus

Highlighting the rapid spread of lethal synthetic drugs such as fentanyl, PM Modi warned of their impact on public health, social stability and global security.

He proposed a dedicated G20 initiative to combat the drug–terror nexus by integrating financial, governance and security tools. The aim is to disrupt trafficking networks, curb illicit financial flows and weaken a key source of terror funding.

PM Modi’s proposals signal India’s broader push to reshape global governance structures and champion inclusive, sustainable development. With Africa and traditional knowledge at the centre of this vision, India urged G20 nations to adopt models that reflect both human wellbeing and planetary balance.

Also Read: PM Modi Holds Constructive Dialogue With UN Secretary-General At G20 Johannesburg Summit