India was introspective earlier; its voice heard much widely today: Tony Abbott

India has come a long way from being introspective to having its voice heard much widely on the world stage today under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Monday.

"I think it is a long time since India has been effective on the world stage as it currently is under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I think for a long time India was introspective. Yes, it was colossal of the subcontinent, but beyond its own region, India tended to take a pretty low key approach to things," Abbott said.

"Well, I think in an uplifting, decent and humane way, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is certainly making India's voice much more widely felt around the world," he added.

Abbott said that India has all the credentials to be a permanent member of the UN Security Council. "If there is one country which, by dent of its military strength and its size and economic potential, has a claim to be on the United Nations Security Council, it is India."

"I am not sure that the Australian government has an official position on this, but personally I would be very sympathetic to seeing India on the Security Council. The world needs two democratic superpowers, not just one.