In a satirical dig at global, multilateral institutions, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday compared them to an obsolete 20th century typewriter, saying that these institutions had not updated themselves “even once in eighty years” for the 21st century.
Speaking at the 17th BRICS Summit in Brazil, Modi added—for a second time since 2024—that the Global South was at a disadvantage due to these institutions that have not provided an adequate voice to “two-thirds of humanity”.
The expansion of BRICS clearly shows that BRICS is an organization capable of changing itself with the times. Now, we need to show the same resolve for reforms in institutions like the UN Security Council, WTO, and multilateral development banks.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2025
He also explained that the Global South faced vicious double standards from these institutions in matters such as climate finance, security concerns, sustainable development, and access to technology, despite contributing significantly to the world economy.
For global peace and prosperity, BRICS nations must adopt a clear and unified stance on overcoming terrorism. On a subject like terrorism, there is no room for double standards! If any country provides direct or indirect support to terrorism, it must pay the price for it.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2025
He even connected this to the issue of terrorism, saying that "on a subject like terrorism, there is no room for double standards!"
"There must be absolutely no hesitation in imposing sanctions against terrorists ... For global peace and prosperity, BRICS nations must adopt a clear and unified stance on overcoming terrorism ... If any country provides direct or indirect support to terrorism, it must pay the price for it," he declared.
He emphasised that it was not only a matter of fairness in representation, but also of the credibility and effectiveness of global institutions like the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and various multilateral banks.
“Without the Global South, global institutions are like a mobile phone that may have a SIM but no network,” Modi had pointed out.
Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had presented these very concerns on the Global South just a year ago at the third iteration of the Voice of the Global South Summit, where they had called for a revision of these organisations, amid concerns of “obsolescence and ... polarisation”.
In India's case specifically, frustration at the denial of the Global South also comes amid the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approving a sanction of $2.3 billion to aid Pakistan in May, despite New Delhi's claims that these debt financing funds—which Islamabad had said would be used for economic development—would be used to fund “state-sponsored cross-border terrorism”, as per a statement from India's Ministry of Finance. However, India's plea that fell on deaf ears.
In response to the devastating Pahalgam attack of April 22 (for which Pakistan was blamed), India had conducted a series of precision strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan, which further led to 88 hours of cross-border tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, after which a ceasefire was announced.
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At the BRICS Summit, which sees Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping absent, Modi also praised the expansion of the bloc comprised of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, and a few other nations.
However, US President Donald Trump, whose punitive tariffs are on the BRICS agenda, has earlier dismissed the bloc's relevance, declaring that 'BRICS is dead', going on to strongly caution the bloc's members against de-dollarisation.
This criticism, as well as ongoing trade talks between US and various nations (including India) make it difficult for a united BRICS statement condemning America directly, although a statement working around these constraints is expected.
