PM Modi Calls For New IBSA Agriculture Fund To Boost Sustainability

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for the establishment of an IBSA Fund for Climate-Resilient Agriculture, reinforcing India’s commitment to strengthening South–South cooperation.

He made the proposal during the IBSA Leaders Meeting held on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg.

In his address, PM Modi applauded the achievements of the existing IBSA Fund, which has supported development projects in around forty countries.

These initiatives span critical sectors such as education, health, women’s empowerment and solar energy, illustrating the group’s commitment to inclusive global progress.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa chaired the meeting, and Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva attended it, marking a key moment in trilateral cooperation among the three democracies.

A Timely Meeting Amid Global South Leadership

PM Modi described the gathering as timely, coinciding with the first-ever G20 Summit hosted on African soil.

He noted that four consecutive G20 presidencies held by Global South countries — the last three by IBSA members — had helped advance human-centric development, sustainable growth and multilateral reform.

He stressed that IBSA is more than a grouping of three nations; it represents a platform connecting three continents, three democracies and three major emerging economies, all committed to equitable global progress.

The Prime Minister outlined several key areas where IBSA nations could complement one another and set examples for sustainable development.

These include millets and natural farming, disaster resilience, green energy, traditional medicine and health security.

Highlighting the growing global focus on Artificial Intelligence, PM Modi said IBSA can contribute meaningfully to developing safe, trustworthy and human-centric AI norms.

He invited member nations to participate in the AI Impact Summit to be held in India next year.

Call for Urgent Global Governance Reform

PM Modi reiterated that current global governance structures no longer reflect 21st-century realities.

He urged IBSA nations to send a clear message that reforming global institutions — particularly the UN Security Council — is not optional but essential.

Emphasising the transformative role of digital technology, the Prime Minister proposed the creation of an IBSA Digital Innovation Alliance.

This platform would enable collaboration on Digital Public Infrastructure, such as UPI, healthcare platforms like CoWIN, cybersecurity solutions and women-led digital initiatives.

IBSA — comprising India, Brazil and South Africa — is a trilateral forum established in 2003 to promote South–South cooperation, democratic values and inclusive global governance.

The grouping works to address shared development challenges and strengthen cooperation across multiple sectors.

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