Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized that India’s G20 presidency aims to bridge gaps, remove obstacles, and cultivate cooperation that fosters a world characterized by unity prevailing over discord and a shared destiny overshadowing isolation.
Talking about the upcoming marquee event that is scheduled to begin on Sept 9 in the capital New Delhi, Modi in his opinion piece published in several media outlets wrote that India’s mantra of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (One World, One Family’) will translate into a call for human-centric progress in this year’s summit.

“Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — these two words capture a deep philosophy. It means the world is one family. This is an all-embracing outlook that encourages us to progress as one universal family, transcending borders, languages, and ideologies.”
“During India’s G20 presidency, this translated into a call for human-centric progress. As One Earth, we came together to nurture our planet. As One Family, we support each other in the pursuit of growth. And we move together towards a shared future — One Future — which is an undeniable truth in these interconnected times,” he said.

He particularly highlighted that the “Voice of Global South Summit” has found new currency in this year’s G20, and how under India’s presidency the summit will see the largest ever participation from African countries as India pushed for the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20.

“In December 2022, when we took over the presidency from Indonesia, I wrote that a mindset shift must be catalysed by the G20. This was especially needed in the context of mainstreaming the marginalised aspirations of developing countries, the Global South and Africa.”

“The Voice of Global South Summit, which witnessed participation from 125 countries, was one of the foremost initiatives under our presidency. It was an important exercise to gather inputs and ideas from the Global South.”

“Further, our presidency has not only seen the largest ever participation from African countries but also pushed for the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20.”

Calling on the attention of stakeholders towards climate action, Modi said that ambitions for climate action must be matched with actions on climate finance and transfer of technology.

“We believe there is a need to move away from a purely restrictive attitude of what should not be done to a more constructive attitude focusing on what can be done to fight climate change.”

“The Chennai HLPs for a Sustainable and Resilient Blue Economy focus on keeping our oceans healthy. A global ecosystem for clean and green hydrogen will emerge from our presidency, along with a Green Hydrogen Innovation Centre. In 2015, we launched the International Solar Alliance. Now, through the Global Biofuels Alliance, we will support the world to enable energy transitions in tune with the benefits of a circular economy.”
“Just as individuals make daily decisions based on their long-term health, they can make lifestyle decisions based on the impact on the planet’s long-term health. Just like yoga became a global mass movement for wellness, we have also nudged the world with Lifestyles for Sustainable Environment (LiFE).”

He pointed out various initiatives taken by India that can be replicated across the world to safeguard against the vagaries of climate change.

“Due to the impact of climate change, ensuring food and nutritional security will be crucial. Millets, or Shree Anna, can help with this while also boosting climate-smart agriculture. In the International Year of Millets, we have taken millets to global palates. The Deccan High Level Principles on Food Security and Nutrition are also helpful in this direction.”
Underscoring why India attaches the highest of importance to the G20 Summit, Modi said, “For India, the G20 presidency is not merely a high-level diplomatic endeavour. As the mother of democracy and a model of diversity, we opened the doors of this experience to the world.”

He also said that G20 countries can help developing nations in in adapt and unlock the power of inclusive growth.

“For instance, the billions across the world that remain unbanked, or lack digital identities, can be financially included through digital public infrastructure (DPI). The solutions we have built using our DPI have now been recognised globally. Now, through the G20, we will help developing countries adapt, build, and scale DPI to unlock the power of inclusive growth.”

He said that India under its G20 presidency is working on bridging the gender digital divide, reducing labour force participation gaps and enabling a larger role for women in leadership and decision-making.

“That India is the fastest growing large economy is no accident. Our simple, scalable and sustainable solutions have empowered the vulnerable and the marginalised to lead our development story. From space to sports, economy to entrepreneurship, Indian women have taken the lead in various sectors. They have shifted the narrative from the development of women to women-led development.”