India viewed positively across most G20 countries: Pew Research

The views of India are generally positive among 23 countries, including most G20 member countries, with a median of 46% of adults holding a "favourable view" of the country, a survey by the US think tank Pew Research Center shows.

"A median of 46% of adults hold a favorable view of India, while a median of 34% have unfavorable views," says the survey, which examines views of India and its political leaders in and outside of India, as well as Indians’ views of other countries.

However, the survey shows the views of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which were collected in a subset of 12 countries, are more mixed: A 37% median say they have confidence in Modi, and a 40% median say they lack confidence in him.

The survey was conducted among 30,861 people in 24 countries, including India, from February 20 to May 22, 2023.

The survey says Indians are more likely than others to believe India’s power is on the rise. "Around seven in ten Indians believe their country has recently become more influential, compared with a median of 28% across 19 countries who said the same in 2022."

In those 19 countries, according to the survey, India’s influence had not changed much in recent years (48% median), but only 19% of Indians agree with this view. "Indians are just as likely as those in other countries to think India’s influence has become weaker in recent years (13% vs. a 19-country median of 13%)."

In India, PM Modi is popular. About eight in ten Indians (79%) have a favorable view of Modi, including a majority of 55% with a very favorable view. In comparison, a median of 37% in 12 countries, most of which are middle-income, report having confidence in Modi to make the right foreign policy choices.

"Kenyans are especially confident, with 60% saying they trust Modi to do the right thing regarding world affairs, while Argentines are particularly skeptical. Just 12% in Argentina have confidence in the Indian leader. At least one in ten in each of these countries also do not offer an opinion on Modi," Pew Research report titled 'Views of India Lean Positive Across 23 Countries' shows.

In Europe, attitudes toward India have turned more negative over time. "Favorable views of India have declined by roughly 10 percentage points or more in all five of the European countries where past data is available."

The greatest change is seen in France, where just 39% now have a favourable view of India, compared with 70% in 2008. Notably, French adults are also less likely than they were in 2008 to share an opinion on India. In all other countries, people are more or about as likely to offer an opinion on India as they were in 2008.

In Russia, Indians stand out for their favorable views of Russia. Whereas a median of only 14% across 22 countries have a positive view of Russia, a 57% majority of Indians see Russia favourably, the survey finds.

India will organise high-profile G20 Summit in New Delhi on September 9 and 10, which will see participation of US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and French President Emmanuel Macron, among others.