Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday warned that the world is lurching through what he called a "decade of disasters," with successive crises, a global pandemic, spreading wars, and a deepening energy crunch, threatening to push hundreds of millions back into poverty.
Speaking to the Indian diaspora in The Hague during his five-nation European tour, Modi drew a bleak picture of a world struggling to keep its footing. "We are witnessing how the world is struggling with new challenges one after another. First came the coronavirus pandemic, then wars began to erupt, and now the world is facing an energy crisis. This decade is increasingly turning into a decade of disasters for the world." he said, adding that the gains of several decades could be undone if the trajectory was not urgently reversed.
"A very large section of the world's population could once again be pushed into the quagmire of poverty," he cautioned. Modi used the occasion to stress India's role as a stabilising force amid global uncertainty, pointing to its deepening cooperation with the Netherlands on resilient supply chains, water security, and green hydrogen. He also cited the pending India-EU free trade agreement as a foundation for stronger economic ties ahead.
"From energy security to water security, the Netherlands and India are cooperating closely. Our collaboration in the field of green hydrogen is especially significant. Moreover, the historic trade agreement between India and the European Union will further strengthen the partnership between India and the Netherlands."
"Whenever India succeeds, the entire humanity benefits from it," he said framing India's rise not as a national ambition alone, but as a contribution to a world badly in need of anchors.