Lok Sabha Forms Friendship Groups with 60+ Nations

The initiative aims to complement traditional diplomatic channels with structured parliamentary dialogue, enabling sustained interaction between Indian lawmakers and their counterparts worldwide.

In a major push to expand India’s parliamentary diplomacy footprint, Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla has constituted Parliamentary Friendship Groups with more than 60 countries, signalling a strategic effort to deepen legislature-to-legislature engagement across continents.

The initiative aims to complement traditional diplomatic channels with structured parliamentary dialogue, enabling sustained interaction between Indian lawmakers and their counterparts worldwide.

Cross-Party Leadership Anchors Initiative

The Friendship Groups draw Members of Parliament from across party lines, reinforcing a bipartisan approach to global engagement. Senior parliamentarians entrusted with leading various groups include Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Dr M. Thambidurai, Shri P. Chidambaram, Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav, Shri T.R. Baalu, Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Shri Gaurav Gogoi, Smt. Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, Shri Manish Tiwari, Shri Derek O’Brien, Shri Abhishek Banerjee, Shri Asaduddin Owaisi, Shri Akhilesh Yadav, Shri K.C. Venugopal, Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Smt. Supriya Sule, Shri Sanjay Singh, Shri Baijayant Panda, Dr Shashi Tharoor, Dr Nishikant Dubey, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab, Smt. Dr D. Purandeswari, Shri Sanjay Kumar Jha, Smt. Hema Malini, Shri Biplab Kumar Deb, Dr Sudhanshu Trivedi, Shri Jagdambika Pal, Dr Sasmit Patra, Smt. Aparajita Sarangi, Shri Shrikant Eknath Shinde, Shri P.V. Midhun Reddy and Shri Praful Patel, among others.

The cross-party composition underscores Parliament’s collective role in representing India’s interests abroad.

Broad Global Outreach

Countries covered in the first phase include Sri Lanka, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, South Africa, Bhutan, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Maldives, USA, Russia, European Parliament, South Korea, Nepal, United Kingdom, France, Japan, Italy, Oman, Australia, Greece, Singapore, Brazil, Vietnam, Mexico, Iran and UAE.

Efforts are underway to expand the initiative to additional countries in the coming months.

Beyond Diplomacy: Legislative and Policy Exchange

The Friendship Groups are designed to:

• Facilitate direct dialogue between legislators

• Share best practices in law-making and governance

• Promote cooperation on trade, technology and innovation

• Encourage exchanges on social policy, culture and democratic challenges

• Strengthen trust and mutual understanding

Structured engagements will include dialogues, study visits, joint discussions and sustained exchanges, creating long-term institutional linkages rooted in democratic values.

Parliamentary Diplomacy as Strategic Tool

Speaker Om Birla has consistently emphasised the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in elevating India’s global profile. Under his leadership, Parliament has played a more proactive role in international parliamentary forums, projecting India as a confident and mature democracy.

The initiative aligns with broader efforts to promote Parliament-to-Parliament and people-to-people ties, reinforcing India’s soft power and democratic credentials.

Building on National Unity in Foreign Outreach

The move follows earlier steps taken by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who, in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, dispatched multi-party parliamentary delegations abroad to present India’s perspective on key issues. That initiative, which brought together leaders from diverse political backgrounds, demonstrated national unity on matters of security and foreign policy.

The formation of over 60 Friendship Groups builds on this spirit of collective representation, reinforcing the message that India speaks with one voice on issues of national interest.

A Participatory Foreign Engagement Model

By institutionalising parliamentary engagement with dozens of countries, the Lok Sabha has strengthened India’s participatory approach to global outreach. The initiative positions Parliament not only as a legislative body but also as a dynamic bridge between nations.

As more Friendship Groups are expected to be formed in the near future, the effort marks a significant evolution in India’s foreign engagement strategy — one that integrates democratic dialogue with diplomatic priorities.