India is hosting a growing number of international institutions such as ISA, CDRI and IBCA. Discuss how they serve India's soft power and Global South leadership.

India now hosts several international bodies: the International Solar Alliance (ISA), the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) and the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA). Their heads attended the opening of IBCA's new Delhi headquarters in October 2026 [1]. These bodies turn India's domestic experience into global public goods. That builds its soft power and supports its claim to lead the Global South.

Soft power: domestic success as a global offer

• Exporting proven models: IBCA was launched at the event marking 50 years of Project Tiger [2]. This presents India's conservation record to the world.
• Rule-shaping institutions: IBCA became a treaty-based IGO with international legal personality on 23 January 2025 [3]. Its framework agreement was modelled on ISA's [4], so India is now writing templates for global bodies.
• Agenda-setting: ISA's Assembly brought together 103 members and 17 signatory countries [5]. This puts India at the centre of energy-transition diplomacy.
• Diplomatic signalling: the External Affairs Minister attended IBCA's inauguration [1]. These bodies are tools of foreign policy, not only sectoral projects.

Global South leadership

• Partnerships across the South: IBCA's first ratifying countries were Nicaragua, Eswatini, Liberia and Somalia, along with India [3]. This deepens India's ties with Africa and Latin America.
• Capacity building: MEA-sponsored ITEC courses and the PRIME cat-health programme train vets from 20 countries [1].
• Resilience as solidarity: CDRI has 42 member countries and 7 international organisations [6]. It helps vulnerable states build infrastructure that can withstand disasters.
• Paying its share: India gave IBCA one-time support of ₹150 crore (2023-28) [4]. It is bearing costs, not just making claims.

Limitations

• Limited reach: IBCA has 29 members [1], while 95 range countries were invited to its 2026 Summit [7].
• Fiscal dependence: IBCA's long-term corpus from donors and multilateral agencies has not yet been raised [4]. If India remains almost the only funder, other members may see IBCA as an "Indian project".
• Overlap with existing conventions could dilute impact unless each body has a clearly defined role.

By hosting ISA, CDRI and IBCA, India shows leadership through cooperation rather than coercion, in the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. To make them lasting pillars of a multipolar order led by the Global South, India should bring in more key countries, widen funding and deliver visible results in the field. This would also advance SDGs 7, 13 and 15.