Global South Takes Center Stage: India's Modi to Attend G20 Johannesburg Summit Amid Boycott by Trump, Milei
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Johannesburg, South Africa from November 21 to 23, 2025 to attend the 20th G20 Leaders’ Summit, marking the first time the summit is held on the African continent.
Hosted under the theme "Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability", the summit is expected to confront overlapping global crises by amplifying the voice of the Global South, of which India remains a key pillar.
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| File Photo Source: PM NaMo |
Modi will represent India’s stance on inclusive growth, climate resilience, and the ethical governance of emerging technologies, participating in all three main summit sessions.
These include dialogues on sustainable economic growth, climate and disaster resilience, and ensuring equitable access to resources like critical minerals and artificial intelligence.
On the sidelines of the summit, Modi is also expected to participate in a leaders’ meeting of IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) and hold bilateral discussions with several attending heads of state.
However, the summit’s symbolic importance as a milestone for Africa’s diplomatic leadership has been clouded by geopolitical tensions. Former U.S. President Donald Trump, still a dominant figure in Republican politics, announced the U.S. would boycott the summit entirely, citing disinformation about “Afrikaner persecution” and calling South Africa's hosting a “disgrace.”
In solidarity, Argentine President Javier Milei also withdrew, delegating Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno in his place.
South Africa has remained focused on promoting a collective agenda rooted in development equity, global cooperation, and intergenerational sustainability.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration has worked to frame the G20 not merely as a forum for advanced economies, but as a platform to confront global polycrises, ranging from debt distress to energy transition and digital inequality.
India’s delegation is expected to emphasize financing for development, reform of multilateral institutions, and fair access to critical minerals, particularly in the context of clean energy supply chains.
The summit will also address the role of trade, decent work standards, and ethical oversight of artificial intelligence, all aligned with India’s call for “leaving no one behind.”
The summit convenes under the South African Presidency, which forms part of the G20 Troika alongside Brazil (incoming) and the United States (outgoing). Though the U.S. government will be absent due to Trump's boycott directive, the Troika structure ensures a level of policy continuity.
The G20 does not operate with a permanent secretariat and instead relies on the host nation’s leadership, supported by multilateral working groups across finance and development issues.