Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized India’s advocacy of the Global South and highlighted efforts to benefit these countries through innovation and open-source technologies. He praised India’s inclusive democracy and highlighted its role in lifting millions of people out of poverty and preparing for the 2024 general elections.
Addressing the 28th Conference of Commonwealth Presidents and Presiding Officers (CSPOC) in 2026 at Parliament House, PM Modi highlighted the country’s efforts during its G20 presidency in advancing the Global South agenda, ANI reported.
Interests of the Global South
PM Modi noted that the country is determined to ensure that its innovations benefit the entire Global South and Commonwealth countries.
“India strongly advocates the interests of the Global South on every global platform. During its presidency of the G20, India has also placed the concerns of the Global South at the center of the global agenda. India’s constant endeavor is to ensure that any innovation we do will benefit the entire Global South and the Commonwealth countries. We are also creating open source technology platforms,” so that our partner countries in the Global South can also develop intelligence systems like those of the Global the south.
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PM Modi praises UPI
Highlighting India’s progress and development, PM Modi noted that today India is the fastest growing major economy in the world. The UPI system has become the world’s largest digital payment platform and the country leads as the best producer of vaccines and ranks second in steel production globally.
“No one is left behind,” emphasizes the nature of India’s democracy, says Prime Minister Modi
Highlighting how inclusive Indian democracy is, PM Modi highlighted its determination to reach the last mile with benefits.
“Guided by the spirit of public good, we work inclusively and ensure that no one is left behind. It is this commitment that has enabled India to lift around 25 million people out of poverty in recent years. In India, democracy really delivers. In India, democracy means last mile delivery,” PM Modi said.
“We work for the welfare of every individual without any discrimination. And it is this spirit of public welfare that has lifted 250 million people in India out of poverty in recent years,” he added.
PM Modi further reflected on India’s rich democratic traditions, calling democracy in India “like a big tree supported by deep roots”.
He referred to historical examples from the Vedas and the Buddha’s teachings, highlighted how assemblies historically debated and made collective decisions, and emphasized India’s long tradition of deliberative governance.
“Our democracy is like a big tree supported by deep roots. We have a long tradition of discussions, dialogue and collective decision-making. India is called the mother of democracy. Our sacred text, the Vedas, is more than 5,000 years old. They refer to assemblies where people met to discuss problems and decisions were taken after discussions and consensus,” he said.
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PM Modi recalls 2024 elections
Talking about the scope of Indian democracy, PM Modi recalled the 2024 general elections and called it the biggest democratic exercise in human history.
It found that nearly 980 million citizens were registered to vote, with more than 8,000 candidates and more than 700 political parties.
“This number is greater than the population of some continents. There were more than 8,000 candidates and more than 700 political parties,” the Prime Minister said.
Prime Minister Modi pointed to the record number of women voters and highlighted that women are now holding important leadership roles such as the President of India and the Chief Minister of Delhi.
The Prime Minister also stated that India’s democratic model combines scale, inclusiveness and public good, and remains committed to both national progress and advancing the interests of developing countries on the global stage.
Doubts about India
Prime Minister Modi clarified concerns about India’s democracy, noting that there are doubts about the country’s progress even though democracy has reigned in the country.
“Contrary to these doubts, India has demonstrated that democratic institutions and processes provide stability, scale and speed to its development,” he said.
Meaning of Samvidhan Sadan
The Prime Minister spoke about the historical significance of the Central Hall, now called Samvidhan Sadan, pointing out that it was the meeting place of the Constituent Assembly during India’s struggle for independence and served as India’s Parliament for 75 years.
“For 75 years after India’s independence, this building served as the Parliament of India and many important decisions and discussions regarding the future of India took place in this very hall. Now India has named this place dedicated to democracy as Constitution House (Samvidhan Sadan),” PM Modi said.
About CSPOC
The CSPOC, a high-level conference from January 14 to 16, chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, will be attended by 61 Speakers and Chairs from 42 Commonwealth countries, as well as representatives of four semi-autonomous parliaments. CPSOC plans to discuss a range of contemporary parliamentary issues with the aim of strengthening democratic institutions and modern legislative procedures.
Major topics include the changing roles of speakers and presiding officers, advances in technology for parliamentary work, and methods for enhancing citizen participation in democracy.
Key topics planned for discussion include “AI in Parliament: Balancing Innovation, Oversight and Adaptation,” led by Malaysia; “Social Media and its Impact on Parliamentarians”, presented by Sri Lanka; and “Innovative Strategies for Enhancing Public Understanding of Parliament and Citizen Participation Beyond Voting”, with contributions from Nigeria and South Africa.
Further sessions will address the safety, health and well-being of Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff, along with a special plenary discussion on the role of Speakers and Speakers in ensuring strong democratic institutions.
