MUMBAI: India is at the forefront of progress made in the field of technology, digital, and data-for-development, said Minister of State for Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
Speaking at a side session of G20 Development Working Group meeting, he said data-led Government interventions for public welfare have helped India redistribute rewards of its economic success and technological advancement to all sections of the society. The minister also highlighted the advances made by India through integration of digital solution in its quest to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The central theme of the side event was ‘Data for Development: Role of G20 in Advancing the 2030 Agenda’. It was one of the two side events that took place during the first meeting of the Development Working Group (DWG) under India’s G20 presidency in Mumbai from December 13-16. G20 members, guest countries and invited international organisations attended the meeting.
The minister stressed on the need for G20 members to work together, sharing “best practices” and learning from each other’s experiences. Describing India as “global digital powerhouse,” he pitched for the country’s leadership role in building “a new international framework” for utilising technology, internet and data for public good sustainable development.
UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA), Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, advocated for India and EU’s greater role in shaping ‘data’ laws across the G20 member and invitee countries.
“The EU Data Act & India’s DEPA (Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture) could offer some examples and insights into how trusted data sharing can protect and empower individuals,” she said. In his closing remarks, Ambassador Amandeep Singh Gill, UnderSecretary-General & UN Envoy on Technology, identified three essential outcomes that India will be working on during its G20 presidency. First, it needs to collate and draw a composite picture, learn from other countries experiences. Secondly, the focus should be on building capacity for handling and analysing large scale of data and lastly, it should democratise data analysis though the use of Artificial Intelligence.
