Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived back in New Delhi on Monday morning following his two-day participation in the G20 Summit held in Johannesburg from November 22 to 23.
During the summit, the Prime Minister attended several high-level sessions, held bilateral meetings with global leaders and took part in negotiations that led to the adoption of the joint declaration. The final document included 122 points centred on development priorities, climate goals and reforms aimed at reshaping global institutions to reflect changing geopolitical dynamics. Officials described the outcome as a reaffirmation of consensus among the participating countries, despite the United States opting out of the summit this year.
A key highlight of the visit was the meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Both leaders finalised the India–Italy Joint Initiative to Counter Financing of Terrorism, a move expected to strengthen cooperation against international terror networks. They also reviewed partnerships in sectors such as defence, trade, investment, technology, culture and space research. According to Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, the two leaders expressed satisfaction with progress made under the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025–29. Meloni also reaffirmed Italy’s support for the AI Summit India will host in 2026.
Prime Minister Modi addressed the summit’s third session, which focused on building an inclusive and equitable future. He underscored the significance of critical minerals and responsible AI, emphasising India’s commitment to technology that remains human-centric and open source. He noted that India’s AI Mission aims to expand the benefits of emerging technologies to every district and language across the country.
Calling for a global framework to prevent the misuse of artificial intelligence in areas such as cybercrime, terrorism and deepfakes, the Prime Minister stressed the urgency of establishing safeguards that can keep pace with rapid innovation. He added that India is preparing to organise the AI Impact Summit in February 2026 under the theme ‘Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya’, with a focus on inclusive development.
The Prime Minister also spoke about the need to shift from short-term employment approaches to long-term skill development. He expressed confidence that G20 nations will work together toward a unified system for global talent mobility to support innovation and expand career opportunities for young people worldwide.
