In a keynote address at the NDTV Conclave, India’s G20 Sherpa, Amitabh Kant, delineated an optimistic and lofty program for the nation’s stewardship of the esteemed G20 assembly. Kant’s eloquent articulation maintained that while the global landscape brims with challenges, India perceives them as fertile ground for opportunity.
Speaking with an air of authority, Kant delineated the priorities earmarked during India’s presidency and the forthcoming G20 summit, scheduled for next month. Key among these is a resolute emphasis on digital transformation, infrastructural advancement, and the empowerment of women-led development.
The G20 Sherpa underscored the unique character of the G20 forum, contrasting it with singular city-based events like the FIFA World Cup in Qatar or the cricket World Cup. Kant elucidated how India astutely leveraged this continual forum to decentralize its impact, extending the G20 narrative to every corner of the nation.
“The ethos of G20, as per the Prime Minister’s vision, is marked by inclusivity, decisiveness, ambition, and action-oriented pursuits. While G20 congregates in one or two locales in most nations, our distinctive approach has extended it throughout India, spanning all its states,” affirmed the G20 Sherpa.
Kant accentuated India’s extensive reach across 60 cities, utilized ingeniously to ameliorate the infrastructural fabric of these locales. The G20 journey involved the engagement of every Indian citizen, thereby fostering a comprehensive and widespread awareness of foreign policy and diplomacy.
This tenure coincides with India’s ascent to the fifth-largest global economy, a trajectory anticipated to vault it to the position of the third-largest economy by 2027.
Enumerating India’s accomplishments over the last seven to eight years, Kant highlighted monumental feats in housing, sanitation, and civic amenities. The construction of 40 million houses, equivalent to housing all of Australia, and the provisioning of 110 million toilets, paralleling the populace of Germany, were among the achievements he showcased.
Kant also accentuated India’s endeavors in road infrastructure, delivery of Covid-19 vaccinations, and digital transformation, commending the nation’s prowess in swift real-time payments. The quantum leap in digital advancement achieved in a mere seven years outshone what might have taken five decades otherwise, according to him.
Kant expounded on India’s G20 priorities, which include robust, inclusive, balanced, and sustained global growth. He further emphasized the urgency of accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, where a mere 12 out of 169 are currently on course.
Climate action and finance emerged as the third priority, with Kant asserting the cataclysmic consequences of failing to fulfill the commitment to curtail global temperature escalation to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Notably, long-term financing for these objectives occupies the fourth priority, entailing a reformulation of multilateral financial institutions forged post-World War II.
The Sherpa also elucidated the pertinence of technological transformation and digital public infrastructure, spotlighting India’s strides in this arena. Kant reiterated Prime Minister Modi’s commitment to women-led development, advocating leadership roles for women to enhance learning outcomes, elevate health standards, and shatter the cycle of malnutrition.
With an eye towards the Global South’s burgeoning potential, marked by its youthful populace poised to spearhead growth, India’s G20 presidency is poised to make a resounding impact. Kant affirmed India’s unwavering commitment to the G20 summit, assuring a substantive delivery that transcends expectations.
“Global South to Spearhead Two-Thirds of Global Growth, Offering Substantial Prospects for India”: G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant
”