Speaking in the southern state of Kerala on Sunday, Modi said his government plans to ratify the Agreement on October 2nd, the birth anniversary of India's independence leader Mahatma Gandhi.

Modi said Gandhi lived with a minimum carbon footprint.

The Paris Agreement was adopted last December as the first international framework to cut greenhouse gas emissions after 2020.

The agreement will take effect when it is ratified by signatories whose greenhouse gas emissions account for 55 percent or more of the world's overall figure.

India emits more than 4 percent of global emissions, following China, the United States and Russia.

India's ratification is expected to help the agreement take a major step toward its becoming effective.

Earlier this month, China and the United States announced their plans to ratify the pact. Attention is now focused on how other major emitters will respond to these positive trends.

Japan, the fifth-largest emitter accounting for 3.8 percent of the global amount, has not completed domestic procedures for its ratification.