India Poised to Join U.S. and China as Next Global Superpower, Says Finnish President Alexander Stubb

Helsinki: Calling India a “rising pillar of global power,” Finland’s President Alexander Stubb has said that India is on track to stand alongside the United States and China as the world’s next superpower. He also warned that the United Nations will continue to lose relevance unless India is granted a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

Speaking at an international forum on global governance, President Stubb hailed India as a “strategic actor” shaping the world’s political and security architecture. He praised New Delhi’s multi-vector foreign policy and its ability to balance competing global interests with strategic clarity.

“I am a great admirer of India, and I think India will be our next superpower — right up there with the United States and China. Whether it’s Prime Minister Modi or Foreign Minister Jaishankar, what India is doing today reflects strategic thinking that commands global respect,” said Stubb.

‘India’s Role Crucial for a Stronger UN’

A long-time advocate for multilateral reform, the Finnish President said that the UN’s credibility will continue to erode unless emerging powers like India are given greater representation in shaping its global agenda.

“I have said this in the General Assembly twice now — I want the UN Security Council to be expanded. Its membership should be at least doubled. It is wrong that countries like India are not part of the Security Council,” Stubb emphasized.

Proposing a more inclusive structure, he suggested that the reformed Council should include one permanent member from Latin America, two from Africa, and two from Asia, underscoring that “multilateralism cannot survive without inclusivity.”

“If players like India don’t feel they have agency or skin in the game, the institution will continue to weaken,” he cautioned.

‘What India Does Matters to the World’

Acknowledging India’s growing economic influence and geopolitical stature, President Stubb said that New Delhi has become indispensable to global stability, sustainable growth, and technological advancement.

“What India does matters to the world,” he said, adding that Finland views India as a key partner in shaping an international order that is cooperative, rules-based, and technologically progressive.

Reaffirming his belief in global cooperation, Stubb concluded,

“I believe in multilateralism. And for multilateralism to work, India must be inside the system — not outside looking in.”