Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asked 54 African nations to join India in demanding an overhaul of the United Nations and other global institutions to make them more "democratic, inclusive and representative". Modi said that “the world is undergoing political, economic and technological transition on a scale rarely seen in recent history” and facing new challenges such as terrorism and climate change, which did not exist when the UN was founded 70 years ago. He warned that the UN and other global bodies run the risk of losing relevance if they do not adapt.

Addressing journalists ahead of the India-Africa Forum Summit, Modi said, "India and Africa, constituting one-third of the global population, must continue to speak in one voice for these reforms." The prime minister added that he sees enormous opportunities for trade and investment ties between India and Africa. He asserted that India will always work in accordance with the requirements and priorities of “friends in Africa”.