Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Perception of India has changed: Modi

Indian prime minister urges the UN to reform in line with 21st century realities

Perception of India has changed: Modi

PRIME minister Narendra Modi has said the perception of India has changed as the country prepares to host world leaders at the G20 summit this weekend.

In an interview with the Press Trust of India news agency, Modi also called on the United Nations to reform in line with 21st century realities.

“For a long time, India was perceived as a nation of over one billion hungry stomachs. But now, India is being seen as a nation of over one billion aspirational minds, more than two billion skilled hands, and hundreds of millions of young people,” the prime minister said last Sunday (3).

“We are not only the most populous country in the world, but also the nation with the largest youth population. So, perspectives about India have changed.”

To a question about the influence of the UN, Modi said, “Institutions can retain relevance only when they change with the times. A mid-20th century approach cannot serve the world in the 21st century.

“So, our international institutions need to recognise changing realities, expand their decision-making forums, relook at their priorities and ensure representation of voices that matter.”

Modi is seeking to boost India's status and promote its causes, such as relief for unsustainable debt, using the global pulpit of the G20 summit starting Saturday (9).

The two-day summit will showcase India's highest-profile guest list ever, from US president Joe Biden to French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Olaf Scholz and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Modi said, "India's G20 presidency also sowed seeds of confidence in countries of so-called third world."

“The G20 has provided a platform for India to further its human-centric vision and also collaboratively work towards innovative solutions to problems that are faced by humanity as a whole.”

The prime minister also predicted India will be a developed country by 2047 – a century after it won independence.

India's $3.39 trillion GDP overtook that of the UK in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, making it the fifth-largest economy in the world behind the US, China, Japan and Germany.

Modi said as a developed nation, the Indian economy will be even more inclusive and innovative, poor people will comprehensively win the battle against poverty, and the nation's health, education and social sector outcomes will be among the best in the world.

"Corruption, casteism and communalism will have no place in our national life," the prime minister said.

"The quality of life of our people will be on par with the best countries of the world. Most importantly, we will achieve all of this while caring for both nature and culture.”

EY projects India's GDP to cross $5 trillion by 2028 to overtake both Japan and Germany. But the US economy is projected to still be nearly six times as large as the Indian economy.

Modi also reiterated his support in the interview for the African Union to become a full member of the G20 and called for global cooperation in fighting cyber crime, saying, "Terrorists using dark net, metaverse, cryptocurrency to fulfil nefarious aims can have implications for social fabric of nations."

More For You

Spain earthquakes

Almería airport sustained damage in its departures lounge

CSmonitor

Spain earthquakes: What we know about the 5.4-magnitude tremor that shook tourist regions

Highlights:

  • A 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Almería, southern Spain, at 7.13 am on Monday
  • The tremor was felt in over 50 towns, including tourist destinations like Malaga
  • No injuries have been reported, but building damage occurred in airports and showrooms
  • The quake follows a weekend of floods and severe weather in Spain
  • No UK Foreign Office travel warnings have been issued, but travellers are advised to check local alerts

Southern Spain was rocked by a 5.4-magnitude earthquake on the morning of Monda,y 14 July, with tremors felt across several provinces, including popular tourist destinations.

The earthquake struck at 7.13 am off the coast of Almería, nearly two miles below sea level, according to Spain’s National Geographic Institute (IGN). Despite its intensity, there have been no reported injuries, although some structural damage has occurred.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India flight crash
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Getty Images

Air India chief says crash report opens new questions, no conclusions yet

A PRELIMINARY report into last month's Air India plane crash that killed 260 people has raised further questions, and the investigation is still ongoing, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said in a memo to staff on Monday.

The initial report, released by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Saturday, pointed to confusion in the cockpit shortly before the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump Jr and girlfriend Bettina Anderson

Donald Trump Jr and Bettina Anderson turn heads with intense PDA before Trump’s Club World Cup appearance

Getty Images

Donald Trump Jr and girlfriend Bettina Anderson flaunt PDA ahead of FIFA Club World Cup final​

Highlights:

  • Donald Trump Jr and Bettina Anderson were seen getting intimate at Teterboro Airport before heading to the FIFA Club World Cup final.
  • The couple matched in white shirts and embraced publicly while awaiting President Donald Trump and Melania Trump.
  • Anderson defended Don Jr online earlier this year after a New York Magazine article criticised him.
  • Trump Jr’s ex-fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle was recently appointed US Ambassador to Greece, while ex-wife Vanessa is now dating Tiger Woods.

Donald Trump Jr and his girlfriend Bettina Anderson turned heads over the weekend with an unabashed public display of affection on the tarmac in Teterboro, New Jersey, just before President Trump and Melania Trump landed ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup final. The couple, who have been together since mid-2024, looked inseparable as they hugged, kissed, and held hands openly, seemingly unconcerned by the presence of others or nearby cameras.

 Donald Trump Jr and girlfriend Bettina Anderson All eyes on Donald Trump Jr and Bettina Anderson as their PDA grabs attention before Trump’s arrivalGetty Images

Keep ReadingShow less
Trump-Getty

Trump will become the first elected political leader in modern times to be hosted for two state visits by a British monarch. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

King Charles to host Donald Trump for state visit in September

KING CHARLES will host US president Donald Trump in September for a second state visit to Britain, Buckingham Palace announced on Monday.

The visit is scheduled to take place from 17 to 19 September.

Keep ReadingShow less
southend london plane crash

A plume of black smoke rises from an area near the runway after a small plane crash, as seen from inside a building at London Southend Airport on July 13, 2025. (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters

Southend Airport closed after plane crash

LONDON Southend Airport in Essex has been closed until further notice after a small plane crashed at the airport on England’s south-east coast on Sunday, according to police.

In a post on X, London Southend Airport said all flights to and from the airport have been cancelled while emergency services, police, and air accident investigators are at the scene.

Keep ReadingShow less