At the Voice of the Glocal South Summit hosted virtually by India on Thursday, Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi called on leaders of the Global South to unitedly forge a common agenda for its own development and for the three-fourth of humanity that lives in it. Bangladesh, represented by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was invited to the inaugural session where world leaders shared their country’s views. She thanked the Indian government for inviting Bangladesh to this important summit that would provide it a unique opportunity to engage with counterparts world over. Read more: Modi rolls out 5G mobile internet services in India PM Hasina warmly congratulated Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government of India on assumption of G20 Presidency and added that Bangladesh welcomes India's vision as the President of G20 to ensure inclusive development under the theme, "One Earth, One Family, One Future". PM Modi spoke of the Global South as a united entity with the greatest stakes in the future and added that India has always stood for the greater role of developing countries in determining our common future. To reshape the global emerging order, he called for an equivalent voice of the Global South. To redesign global political and financial governance, remove inequities, enlarge opportunities, support growth and spread progress and prosperity, he called for simple, scalable and sustainable solutions to transform the Global South and proposed a 4R strategy - ‘Respond, Recognize, Respect and Reform’: Respond to the priorities of the Global South by framing an inclusive and balanced international agenda; Recognize that the principle of ‘Common but Differentiated Responsibilities’ applies to all global challenges; Respect sovereignty of all nations, rule of law and peaceful resolution of differences and disputes; and Reform international institutions, including the United Nations, to make them more relevant. Human-centric development came out as an-important important priority from all the world leaders. Read more: India’s G20 agenda to be inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented, decisive: Modi

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said India’s G20 agenda will be inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented, and decisive. "Let us join together to make India's G20 Presidency a Presidency of healing, harmony and hope. Let us work together to shape a new paradigm - of human-centric globalisation," he said. In an article titled "India's G20 Presidency to promote the universal sense of one-ness" Prime Minister Modi said the previous 17 Presidencies of the G20 delivered significant results - for ensuring macro-economic stability, rationalising international taxation, relieving debt-burden on countries, among many other outcomes. "We will benefit from these achievements, and build further upon them," the article reads. "However, as India assumes this important mantle, I ask myself - can the G20 go further still? Can we catalyse a fundamental mindset shift, to benefit humanity as a whole? I believe we can," he said. India, as G20 Presidency, will be inviting Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as guest countries to its meetings and Summit, the Ministry of External Affairs, India announced in September this year. Read more: G20: As Lavrov watches on, UK PM Sunak criticises Russia’s “barbaric” war Under its Presidency, India is expected to host over 200 G20 meetings across the country, beginning December 2022. "Our mindsets are shaped by our circumstances. Through all of history, humanity lived in scarcity. We fought for limited resources, because our survival depended on denying them to others. Confrontation and competition - between ideas, ideologies and identities - became the norm. Unfortunately, we remain trapped in the same zero-sum mindset even today. We see it when countries fight over territory or resources. We see it when supplies of essential goods are weaponised. We see it when vaccines are hoarded by a few, even as billions remain vulnerable. Some may argue that confrontation and greed are just human nature. I disagree. If humans were inherently selfish, what would explain the lasting appeal of so many spiritual traditions that advocate the fundamental one-ness of us all? One such tradition, popular in India, sees all living beings, and even inanimate things, as composed of the same five basic elements – the panch tatva of earth, water, fire, air and space. Harmony among these elements - within us and between us - is essential for our physical, social and environmental well-being. India's G20 Presidency will work to promote this universal sense of one-ness. Hence our theme - 'One Earth, One Family, One Future'. This is not just a slogan. It takes into account recent changes in human circumstances, which we have collectively failed to appreciate. Today, we have the means to produce enough to meet the basic needs of all people in the world. Today, we do not need to fight for our survival - our era need not be one of war. Indeed, it must not be one! Today, the greatest challenges we face - climate change, terrorism, and pandemics - can be solved not by fighting each other, but only by acting together. Fortunately, today's technology also gives us the means to address problems on a humanity-wide scale. The massive virtual worlds that we inhabit today demonstrate the scalability of digital technologies. Housing one-sixth of humanity, and with its immense diversity of languages, religions, customs and beliefs, India is a microcosm of the world. With the oldest-known traditions of collective decision-making, India contributes to the foundational DNA of democracy. As the mother of democracy, India's national consensus is forged not by diktat, but by blending millions of free voices into one harmonious melody. Today, India is the fastest growing large economy. Our citizen-centric governance model takes care of even our most marginalised citizens, while nurturing the creative genius of our talented youth. We have tried to make national development not an exercise in top-down governance, but rather a citizen-led 'people's movement'. We have leveraged technology to create digital public goods that are open, inclusive and inter-operable. These have delivered revolutionary progress in fields as varied as social protection, financial inclusion, and electronic payments. For all these reasons, India's experiences can provide insights for possible global solutions. During our G20 Presidency, we shall present India's experiences, learnings and models as possible templates for others, particularly the developing world. Our G20 priorities will be shaped in consultation with not just our G20 partners, but also our fellow-travellers in the global South, whose voice often goes unheard. Our priorities will focus on healing our 'One Earth', creating harmony within our 'One Family' and giving hope for our 'One Future'. For healing our planet, we will encourage sustainable and environment-friendly lifestyles, based on India's tradition of trusteeship towards nature. For promoting harmony within the human family, we will seek to depoliticise the global supply of food, fertilizers and medical products, so that geo-political tensions do not lead to humanitarian crises. As in our own families, those whose needs are the greatest must always be our first concern. For imbuing hope in our future generations, we will encourage an honest conversation among the most powerful countries - on mitigating risks posed by weapons of mass destruction and enhancing global security," Modi said. Read more: US supports India for G20 presidency

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched 5G mobile internet services in India, a major milestone in the country's telecom history that paves the way for ultra high-speed downloads and aims to eliminate the menace of call drops. Describing the rollout as the "dawn of a new era" in India, Modi said that "5G is a gift from the telecom industry to 130 crore Indians". "This summit is global but the voice is local, " he said after unveiling the 5G services at the 6th edition of India Mobile Congress 2022 in the national capital. "India will play an important role in the technological revolution of the world. With 5G, India is leading and setting the global standard in telecom technology. 5G will open many opportunities for the youth. This is a big step towards our vision of a Viksit Bharat (Developed India)," he asserted. "The new India will not only remain a consumer of technology but rather, will play a significant role in the implementation of technology for the growth of the country," the Prime Minister said. Read: GP conducts 5G trial in Dhaka, Chattogram Though the 5G services were launched on Saturday, the same will be rolled out in 13 select Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad later this month. The services will be extended to other cities in phases over the next couple of years. And by 2030, India aims to bring all its major cities and towns under the ambit of 5G.  The  rollout of the fifth generation of high-speed mobile internet -- or 5G -- services is also pivotal to India's ambitious plans for a USD 1 trillion digital economy. The services support emerging technologies such as autonomous vehicles, robotic surgeries and artificial intelligence. It will also facilitate seamless coverage and increase energy efficiency.    

Setting the stage for a new chapter in Indo-Italian ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated right-wing coalition leader Giorgia Meloni for winning the national election in the European country. Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, Modi said that he "looks forward to working together" with Meloni to bolster bilateral ties. Meloni is certain to become Italy's first woman PM. "Congratulations @GiorgiaMeloni for leading your party @FratellidItalia to victory in the Italian general elections. We look forward to working together to strengthen our ties," the Indian PM tweeted. Read: How the far right conquered Italy Italy is India's fifth largest trading partner in the European Union and the annual bilateral trade turnover currently stands at 10 billion Euros. More than 600 Italian companies are operating in India. In October 2021, Modi visited Italy for the G20 Summit in Rome. On the sidelines of the Summit, the Indian PM met his Italian counterpart and also called on Pope Francis in Vatican.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has come down heavily on the federal government for "not inviting" her to meet Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the latter's four-day state visit to India.   "I share an excellent relationship with Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, but (the Indian government) did not invite me to be a part of her visit,” Mamata said, addressing her supporters at a meeting of the state's Trinamool Congress in Kolkata on Thursday.   “I don’t want to talk about external affairs or bilateral ties. But, I have noticed that the Centre (the federal government) tries to stop me whenever I am invited to any foreign country. I want to know why is the Union government so worried about me meeting foreign dignitaries,” Manata said.   Read: Mamata sacks tainted Bengal Minister over school jobs scam Hasina wrapped up her state visit to India on Thursday, with a visit to the Dargah of the revered Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti in the town of Ajmer, some 350kms from the national capital.   The Bangladesh PM had also regretted not having met Mamata during her India visit. "Mamata is like my sister. I can meet her whenever I want. We always have a good relationship," she told the media at a dinner reception in Bangladesh High Commission.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi are holding bilateral talks at Hyderabad House in the Indian capital as the two countries seek enhanced cooperation. The delegation level talks will be followed by signing of several instruments between the two countries. Issues related to security cooperation, investment, enhanced trade relations, power and energy sector cooperation, water sharing of common rivers, water resources management, border management, combating drug smuggling an human trafficking will get priority during the talks between PM Hasina and her Indian counterpart Modi, officials said. Read: PM Hasina pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat Bangladesh and India are likely to sign seven MoUs on water management, railway, science and technology, and information and broadcasting. PM Hasina and Modi had a one-to-one meeting before the delegation level talks. After his meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the "warmth and frequency" of their leadership level contacts is a testimony to their close neighborly partnership. India says the visit will mark a "new chapter" in the ever deepening Indo-Bangladesh ties under the astute leadership of PM Hasina and her counterpart Narendra Modi. Read: PM Hasina accorded warm reception by Modi at Delhi’s Rashtrapati Bhavan Foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen said purchasing surplus fuel from India will be discussed today (September 6, 2022). “We can get India’s surplus fuel, under favorable terms. We will, of course, consider that,” Masud said while speaking to reporters after Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Liz Truss after she was named Britain's next Premier. "Congratulations @trussliz for being chosen to be the next PM of the UK," Modi tweeted, an hour after Truss triumphed Indian-origin Rishi Sunak in the internal leadership race of Britain's ruling Conservative Party. "Confident that under your leadership, the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will be further strengthened. Wish you the very best for your new role and responsibilities," the Prime Minister wrote. Also read: PM Hasina greets new UK Tory leader Lizz Truss Truss will be the third woman to occupy the highest executive post in the UK after Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May. "We need to show that we will deliver over the next two years. I will deliver a bold plan to cut taxes and grow our economy," Truss said, after she was declared the winner. Also read: Liz Truss: UK's incoming PM who models herself on Iron Lady Thatcher "I will deliver on the energy crisis, dealing with people's energy bills, but also dealing with the long-term issues we have on energy supply," she added.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's India visit will open new windows of cooperation between the countries, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Thursday. The visit is significant for both Bangladesh and India, it added. At the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina will pay a visit to New Delhi from September 5 to 8. Hasina will visit India after three years since. She last visited in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. The prime minister will lead a high-level delegation which includes several ministers, advisers, secretaries and senior officials. Representatives from business bodies of Bangladesh will also accompany Hasina. The Bangladesh prime minister will be formally received by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi while a ceremonial guard of honour will be accorded to her. She will pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat. Hasina is also expected to call on Indian Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar. She will hold bilateral talks with Modi at the Hyderabad House. The Bangladesh prime minister is also scheduled to attend a lunch to be hosted by her Indian counterpart. The Indian external affairs minister and some other dignitaries are expected to meet Hasina during her stay in New Delhi. Several agreements are expected to be signed during the state visit, MoFA said. Hasina is also scheduled to attend a business event organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries. She is expected to award the Mujib Scholarship, an initiative of the Bangladesh government, to the descendants of 200 Indian Armed Forces personnel who were martyred and critically injured during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971. The prime minister is scheduled to return to Dhaka on September 8. Also read: Hasina’s India visit to strengthen Dhaka-Delhi multifaceted relationship: MEA

The first unit of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant will go into commercial operation early October in a major stride in growing Bangladesh-India power sector cooperation, officials said. The unit-I of the 1320 (2x660) MW coal-fired power plant was successfully synchronized with the national grid on August 15. After completion and “successful synchronization” of unit-I of the power plant, further synchronization related activities are currently being undertaken following which Unit-I will be handed over to the government of Bangladesh, said the officials involved in the project. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi are expected to jointly announce the completion of first unit’s construction during her visit to India first week of next month.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih jointly launched the 'Greater Male connectivity projects', after holding high-level talks in Delhi on Tuesday. "We have also decided to provide an additional line of credit of USD 100 million to the Maldives so that all projects can be completed in a timely manner," Modi said in his joint statement with President Solih. Both countries also sealed as many as six pacts on areas like cyber security, disaster management, and police infrastructure development, following the talks between the two leaders. Read: Modi holds talks with visiting Maldivian President "Maldives-India relationship goes beyond diplomacy. This visit is an affirmation of the close bond between our two countries," President Solih told the media. Earlier in the day, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted to describe the bilateral ties as "a partnership bound by the waves of the Indian Ocean, underpinned by close historical and cultural ties." President Solih arrived in Delhi on Monday on a four-day visit to India. A high-level business delegation is accompanying him. "A warm welcome to a close friend and maritime neighbour! President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih of Maldives arrives in New Delhi for an official visit," Indian External Affairs Ministry tweeted after his arrival. Read: Govt to probe allegation against diplomat Kazi Anarkoly: Shahriar "An opportunity to nurture the unwavering friendship between our two countries and lend further momentum to the multifaceted partnership,” the Ministry wrote. On Monday itself, President Solih held a meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who later said that "India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy and the Maldives' 'India First' policy are complementary". President Solih's visit comes barely a week after India gave its nod to a pact for judicial cooperation between the two countries. The Maldives is one of India's key maritime neighbours.