Prime Minister Narendra Modi commenced his two-nation tour by landing in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Modi walked to the gathering of Indian diaspora people who had gathered to greet him after receiving a warm and enthusiastic welcome.
Attendees from the Indian diaspora could be heard singing patriotic slogans such as 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Vande Matram'.
The Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Paul Shipokosa Mashatile, formally welcomed the Prime Minister upon his arrival at the airport.
As Prime Minister Modi arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa, Arindam Bagchi, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, published a video on the social media platform X (previously known as Twitter) detailing the highlights of his three-day visit to the country.
"The Deputy President of South Africa extended a warm reception to the Prime Minister upon his arrival," he said in the video.
PM Modi's presence in South Africa is in response to an invitation from the country's President, Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa. Additionally, this visit also marks the 30th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between India and South Africa.
The upcoming BRICS Summit in Johannesburg from August 22 to 24 is poised to witness the largest gathering of heads of state and government from Global South countries in recent years.
BRICS consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, representing major world economies.
Later today, Prime Minister Modi will address the BRICS business forum. Earlier, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra mentioned that an Indian business delegation is accompanying the Prime Minister to attend Business Tracks meetings in the country.
Kwatra remarked, "For the 15th BRICS Summit, a business delegation from India is also traveling to South Africa to attend the Business Tracks meetings, as well as the meetings of the BRICS Business Council, BRICS Women Business Alliance, and the BRICS Business Forum."
Scheduled for later today, the BRICS Business Leaders forum dialogue will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre. The program director for this event is South Africa's Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition, Ebrahim Patel.
This year, South Africa holds the presidency of BRICS and is hosting the first in-person summit since 2019 in Johannesburg.
The theme chosen for South Africa's BRICS presidency, starting January 1, is "BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Multilateralism."
