PM Modi to visit 5 nations in his longest diplomatic tour: What’s on agenda

Source: Moneycontrol | Original Published At: 2025-07-01 04:22:07 UTC

Key Points

• PM Modi's five-nation tour focuses on Global South engagement across critical minerals, defense, digital infrastructure, and counter-terrorism
• Ghana visit prioritizes vaccine manufacturing, critical minerals, and digital public infrastructure (DPI)
• Trinidad and Tobago visit marks 180th anniversary of Indian immigration with emphasis on diaspora ties and telemedicine
• Argentina discussions include rare earth minerals, shale energy, and space cooperation
• Brazil hosts 2025 BRICS Summit with Global Governance Reform as central theme, plus defense production partnerships

Brazil will host PM Modi from July 6 for the 2025 BRICS Summit, where the central theme will be the Reform of Global Governance.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to embark on a pivotal five-nation tour from July 2 to 9, covering Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, and Namibia.

Notably, this marks PM Modi’s second five-nation tour during his tenure, the first being in 2016 when he visited the U.S., Mexico, Switzerland, Qatar, and Afghanistan. Unlike the earlier trip, this tour includes an extended four-day stop in Brazil, first for the BRICS Summit, followed by a state visit.

The visit is aimed at strengthening India’s engagement with key nations in the Global South, with a focus on cooperation in critical minerals, defence production, digital infrastructure, and counter-terror efforts.

July 2-3: Ghana — Focus on vaccines, minerals, and DPI

The first stop in PM Modi’s tour will be Ghana, marking the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the West African nation in over three decades. According to Secretary (Economic Relations) Dammu Ravi, the visit will prioritise partnerships in agriculture, vaccine manufacturing, critical minerals, and digital public infrastructure (DPI).

As Ghana undergoes economic restructuring under President John Dramani Mahama, India is seeking to establish a vaccine development hub in West Africa and revive cultural exchange programmes.

Later, PM Modi is also scheduled to address Ghana’s Parliament and interact with the 15,000-strong Indian diaspora in the country.

July 3-4: Trinidad and Tobago — Deepening diaspora and democratic Ties

On July 3, PM Modi will arrive in Trinidad and Tobago for the first Prime Minister-level bilateral visit since 1999. Notably, this visit also coincides with the 180th anniversary of the arrival of Indian immigrants to the island nation and is aimed at building on deep-rooted people-to-people ties.

Furthermore, during the visit, PM Modi, in a symbolic gesture, will address a joint session of Parliament in Trinidad and Tobago.

It should also be noted that both the President and Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Christine Kangaloo and Kamla Persad-Bissessar, are of Indian origin, adding further symbolic weight to the visit.

India had gifted the Parliament’s Speaker’s Chair in 1968, a gesture that remains emblematic of bilateral goodwill.

Talks are expected to cover healthcare cooperation, including telemedicine and digital health, as well as trade, investment, and defence diplomacy.

July 5-6: Argentina — First full bilateral with President Milei

PM Modi’s visit to Argentina will mark the first full bilateral interaction with President Javier Milei. The key focus areas will include rare earth minerals, such as lithium and copper, shale energy, agriculture, space cooperation, and DPI.

India’s state-run mining consortium KABIL has already secured exploration concessions in Argentina, which is home to the world’s second-largest reserves of shale gas and significant deposits of critical minerals, as per a report in The Hindu. The bilateral talks are expected to yield new agreements on renewable energy, agricultural research, and strategic resource collaboration.

According to MEA officials, India will also share its expertise in telemedicine and digital innovation to help expand access to cost-effective healthcare in Argentina.

July 6-8: Brazil – BRICS Summit and defence talks

Brazil will host PM Modi from July 6 for the 2025 BRICS Summit, where the central theme will be the Reform of Global Governance. Other summit discussions will include multilateralism, peace and security, climate change (COP30), global health, AI regulation, and financial cooperation.

India will assume the BRICS chair in 2026.

On the sidelines of the summit, PM Modi will also hold bilateral discussions with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brasilia.

A key focus will be expanding defence production ties. Brazil has reportedly expressed interest in India’s battlefield secure communication systems, Akash surface-to-air missile system (used in Operation Sindoor), coastal surveillance infrastructure, offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), Garuda artillery systems, and maintenance partnerships for Scorpene submarines, states the report by The Hindu.

Renewable energy, DPI, trade, and scientific research are also expected to feature prominently in bilateral talks.