Prime Minister Narendra Modi has warned that trade, technology and sea routes are increasingly being weaponised amid rising geopolitical tensions and a changing global order. Speaking at the NDTV World Summit 2026 in New Delhi on October 22, he said international institutions, including the United Nations, were struggling to keep pace with emerging global realities.
Modi said that while trade had traditionally connected economies, technology bridged distances and sea routes supported global commerce, these links were now becoming areas of competition and conflict.
Modi Calls for Stronger Global Institutions
The Prime Minister stressed the need to reform international institutions to reflect the changing balance of global power. He called for stronger multilateral organisations, a greater voice for the Global South and international cooperation that remains effective during crises.
Referring to the ancient Indian strategist Chanakya’s concept of Matsya Nyaya, which describes a situation in which the strong dominate the weak, Modi argued that the international system needs safeguards against the unchecked exercise of power.
India’s Role in a Changing World Order
Modi presented India as a country capable of contributing to global stability through stronger domestic capabilities and international partnerships. Citing India’s response during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said the country supplied vaccines to nations in need and medicines to more than 100 countries.
He added that India’s growing economic and technological strengths could support global development and help countries respond to future crises.
From Back Office to Brain Office
The Prime Minister also highlighted India’s transition from a global back-office destination to a centre for innovation, research and advanced technology. He pointed to the country’s expanding startup ecosystem, digital capabilities and semiconductor ambitions as examples of this shift.
Modi said India’s vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047, or Viksit Bharat, was not only about domestic progress but also about contributing to a better world.
He concluded that international cooperation must remain effective in difficult times, adding that India was strengthening its own capabilities to help strengthen the world.
