Erik Solheim: India's global standing has grown significantly under Modi's 12-year leadership
Synopsis
A former Norwegian minister and senior UN environment official has credited PM Modi's 12-year tenure with lifting India to the centre stage of global affairs — citing economic growth, green leadership, and even Operation Sindoor as a model for restrained military conduct. The remarks, made at the Chintan Research Foundation's second Foundation Day, reflect a growing chorus of international voices repositioning India as an indispensable power by 2050.
Key Takeaways
Norwegian diplomat Erik Solheim said India's global standing has risen 'a lot' during PM Modi 's 12 years in office.
Solheim projected India's economy will quadruple by 2050 , calling India's expanded global role inevitable.
He cited India's green leadership and Operation Sindoor as examples of India's constructive international role.
The remarks were made at the second Foundation Day of the Chintan Research Foundation in New Delhi on 19 June .
Solheim described the think tank's first year as 'absolutely remarkable' for fostering dialogue and debate.
Norwegian diplomat and former Minister of Climate and Environment of Norway Erik Solheim has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 12 years in office have been a remarkable period during which India's standing on the world stage has grown significantly. Solheim made the remarks on the sidelines of the second Foundation Day of the Chintan Research Foundation in New Delhi on 19 June.
India at the Centre of Global Affairs
'I think it has been a remarkable period during which India's standing in the world has increased a lot. India is now much more at the centre stage of global events, and it has been a time of rapid economic growth as well as green leadership,' Solheim said. He added that the Prime Minister is 'leading an India that is going green at a very rapid pace.'
The former diplomat underscored the inevitability of India's expanded global role, stating: 'There is no future of the planet where India will not play a much more important role. The Indian economy is growing and is expected to quadruple by 2050. India is the world's most populous nation and brings with it a rich culture and a civilisational legacy. So, for sure, India will play a much, much bigger role in global affairs than it did in the 20th century.'
Peace, Green Leadership, and Operation Sindoor
Solheim also highlighted what he described as India's peaceful disposition and its environmental credentials. 'I think India can play a role in many different ways, it's a peaceful nation. The peace is in the DNA... What a lesson for other nations in the world to replicate Operation Sindoor. India has not been in a war with any nation except Pakistan for the last many decades. India is also a green leader, and India is making a very important contribution,' he said.
The reference to Operation Sindoor — India's recent military response against cross-border terror infrastructure — as a model for other nations is notable, framing the operation as a measured, targeted action rather than a full-scale escalation. This comes amid heightened global attention on India's strategic posture following the operation.
Chintan Research Foundation's First Year
Solheim also praised the Chintan Research Foundation on its second Foundation Day, calling its growth 'absolutely remarkable.' He noted the think tank had, within just one year, become 'a centre for so many meaningful debates, bringing people together for dialogue, publishing newspaper articles, and much more.'
Context: Modi's 12 Years in Office
Prime Minister Modi completed 12 years in office on 19 June 2025, having first assumed charge in May 2014. His tenure has coincided with India's rise to the world's fifth-largest economy, its G20 presidency in 2023, and an accelerated renewable energy build-out that has drawn international attention. Assessments from foreign diplomats and multilateral observers have increasingly positioned India as a swing power in the evolving multipolar order.
Whether India can translate this diplomatic visibility into durable institutional influence in bodies such as the United Nations Security Council remains an open question as the country pushes for permanent membership reforms.
Point of View
But it should be read in context: remarks made at a think tank's foundation day event are inherently celebratory, not analytical. The more substantive claim — that India's economy will quadruple by 2050 — is a projection widely cited in multilateral forecasts, but quadrupling output while sustaining green commitments requires policy consistency India has not yet fully demonstrated. The Operation Sindoor reference is the most striking element: a foreign diplomat framing a military strike as a global model for restraint signals how India's strategic communication is landing abroad, even if the domestic and regional readings remain far more contested.
NationPress
5 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Erik Solheim say about India under PM Modi?
Erik Solheim, a Norwegian diplomat and former Minister of Climate and Environment of Norway, said India's standing in the world has increased significantly during PM Modi's 12-year tenure. He highlighted India's economic growth, green leadership, and its emergence at the centre stage of global events.
Where did Erik Solheim make these remarks?
Solheim spoke on the sidelines of the second Foundation Day of the Chintan Research Foundation in New Delhi on 19 June. The event marked one year of the think tank's operations.
What did Solheim say about India's role by 2050?
Solheim said India's economy is expected to quadruple by 2050 and that, as the world's most populous nation with a rich civilisational legacy, India will play a 'much, much bigger role' in global affairs than it did in the 20th century.
Why did Solheim reference Operation Sindoor?
Solheim cited Operation Sindoor as an example of India's peaceful and measured approach, describing it as 'a lesson for other nations to replicate.' He framed it as evidence that India resolves conflicts without engaging in full-scale wars.
What is the Chintan Research Foundation?
The Chintan Research Foundation is a New Delhi-based think tank that celebrated its second Foundation Day on 19 June. Solheim praised it for becoming a centre for meaningful debates, dialogue, and policy publishing within just one year of operations.
