Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly advocated for India's permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), emphasizing the need for the country to regain its rightful place on the global stage. He made the remarks in an interview with French publication Les Echos ahead of his visit to France.

On the significance of a permanent seat for India at UNSC, PM Modi said, “The issue is not just of credibility, but something much larger. How can the UN Security Council claim to speak for the world when its most populous country and its largest democracy is not a permanent member?”

The Prime Minister criticized the "skewed membership" of the Security Council, which he believes leads to “opaque decision-making.” He highlighted that French President Emmanuel Macron shares this view.

The UN Security Council currently consists of five permanent members: the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, and France. While four of these countries have backed India's bid for permanent membership, China has not. The permanent members hold veto power, allowing them to block the adoption of draft resolutions.