Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Johannesburg, South Africa, on Friday, November 21, to participate in the 20th G20 Leaders’ Summit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Wednesday. The three-day visit, scheduled from November 21 to 23, positions India once again at the forefront of deliberations on global governance.
According to the MEA, this year’s summit—hosted by South Africa—marks the fourth consecutive G20 gathering held in the Global South, underscoring the region’s expanding influence in shaping international policy and economic direction. PM Modi is slated to deliver India’s views across the full G20 agenda and will address all three main sessions.
These sessions will focus on a wide range of pressing global issues. The first will examine inclusive and sustainable economic growth, with special emphasis on trade, development financing, and global debt vulnerabilities. The second session aims to outline a more resilient world by discussing disaster risk reduction, climate challenges, just energy transitions, and global food systems. The final session will explore pathways toward a fairer future, touching on critical minerals, decent work, and the role of artificial intelligence in global development.
Apart from the main summit, PM Modi is expected to hold multiple bilateral meetings with attending world leaders. He will also participate in the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Leaders’ Meeting, which South Africa will host on the sidelines of the G20.
The summit arrives amid a notable absence: the United States. Last week, US President Donald Trump declared that no American government delegation would attend, calling the gathering “a total disgrace.” In a post on Truth Social, Trump cited concerns about human rights violations against Afrikaners in South Africa and added that he plans to host the 2026 G20 Summit in Miami, Florida. Earlier this year, the White House had already instructed federal agencies to halt preparations for the visit.
Despite the US withdrawal, South African High Commissioner to India Anil Sooklal expressed confidence that the summit will be successful, saying the G20 is now “too big to fail” and no longer dependent on any single member nation. He deemed the American decision “unfortunate” but emphasized that the forum remains a powerful global force.
The 2025 G20 Summit, chaired by President Cyril Ramaphosa, will take place at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg from November 22 to 23. The G20—comprising 19 countries, the European Union, and the African Union—represents approximately 85 percent of global GDP, more than 75 percent of global trade, and roughly two-thirds of the world’s population.
