New Delhi: India has seen an increased engagement and prominence on the global stage under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose government at the Centre will complete nine years on May 30, 2023. A nation of over 140 crore people, India has witnessed an all-around development and recorded inclusive growth in almost every sector under the Modi government, which has resulted in a massive improvement in its overall reputation in the international community.
During his tenure, Narendra Modi, who was sworn in for the first time as Prime Minister on May 26, 2014, and then took oath at the office for the second term on May 30, 2019, has time and again engaged in improving bilateral relations with various countries. Since his first foreign visit to Bhutan in June 2014, he has embarked on numerous diplomatic trips, which has also helped him establish personal relationships with world leaders, including those of the US, France, Germany, Russia, Brazil, United Arab Emirates, Japan, and Australia.
While Modi's 'Neighborhood First' and 'Act East' policies strengthened his ties with countries in Asia, his 'vaccine maitri', which was a humanitarian initiative when the world was struggling to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, helped India further solidify its status as a responsible global power.
India under Prime Minister Modi's leadership has also actively participated in multilateral forums such as the United Nations (UN), G20 (Group of 20), BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and has emphasised on addressing global issues like terrorism and climate change. He has also prioritized India's relations with neighboring countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Maldives, Nepal, and Bhutan and played an active role in regional forums such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
After his recent six-day tour across three countries, PM Modi had said that he speaks 'confidently' of India and its people's strengths abroad and the world listens because people here elected a majority government. He said that the world leaders know that what he says is the 'voice of the 140 crore people' of India. He said that India faces the challenges of strengthening its roots while also working its way to a new high as the world expects it to.
"Challenges are big. But it is in my nature to challenge the challenges," he had said earlier this week.
Recently, Australian PM Anthony Albanese had described PM Modi as 'the boss', while US President Joe Biden had said that he wants the Indian PM's 'autograph' and praised his leadership.
"The world is looking at a new India with a new perspective due to Modi's leadership," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said this week as he heaped praise on the prime minister's leadership for India's rising image and prestige in the world.
India is being seen as a bright spot globally and the world is placing its confidence in the county as the nation is poised to overtake Germany to become the fourth-largest economy in the next few years.
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