World is now multi-polar with increasing importance of small nations: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here on Tuesday that the world has changed from 'bipolar' to 'multi-polar' with the increasing significance of small countries.

Prime Minister Modi was speaking at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) here.

"Once the world was bipolar with one country divided into two polarities. Today the world has changed. It is multi-polar today. All countries today are interdependent, interconnected. The manner in which the world was viewed 3-4 decades back has changed. We will have to change our thinking," said Modi.

"In today's world, the importance of smaller countries are also increasing. We may have any ideology -- socialist or capitalist -- but ultimately we have to see what we are contributing towards humanity," he said.

"Once the power of a nation was judged by the land that remained under its control and nations followed the expansionist policy. Now the strength of a nation is on the basis of new innovations, technology interventions and so on. We have to work for the vertical growth," he said.

"To maintain a balance between human values and technology is a challenge," added Modi, who was responding to questions about the emerging challenges in the world.