IN recent years, India’s prominence on the international stage has been marked by its proactive initiatives and projects that contribute to global progress. For the first time at G20, under India’s leadership, these efforts have come to the forefront, leaving an indelible mark on the legacy of Indian G20 presidency in 2023. Through a series of innovative projects and collaborative platforms, India has played a pivotal role in addressing key global challenges. Here is an overview of some of India’s notable initiatives, which are set to become a lasting legacy of its G20 presidency.
Startup 20 Group: The Startup 20 Engagement Group has been initiated with an aim to foster a worldwide narrative that strengthens startups and facilitates collaboration amongst startups, corporations, investors, innovation agencies, and key ecosystem stakeholders. The group’s objective is to create a unified platform for startups from G20 member nations, working to facilitate actionable strategies. These include enhancing support structures, addressing funding gaps, and promoting job growth.
Digital Health Initiative: Unveiled during the Health Minister’s Meeting of the G20 Summit in August, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the G20 India presidency introduced the Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH). It functions as a WHO-managed network with a view to aiding the implementation of the Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020–2025.
Disaster Risk Reduction Group: Initiated under India’s G20 presidency, the Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group (DRRWG) seeks to integrate disaster risk reduction efforts into G20’s agenda and its support for developing nations. With UNDRR leading the way as the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, various knowledge partners and international organisations contribute to the DRRWG’s efforts.
Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable: The G20 India presidency launched the Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable, cochaired by the IMF, World Bank, and G20 presidency. This initiative aims to foster communication and understanding among key stakeholders to facilitate effective debt treatments.
Independent Group for MDBs: India established the Independent Expert Group (IEG) to provide recommendations for strengthening Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs). Co-convened by Prof Larry Summers (US) and NK Singh (India), the Group’s Secretariat consists of ICRIER, Delhi and CGD, Washington DC).
RAMBAAN BSL-3 lab: Unveiled during the G20 Health Working Group meeting in Goa, RAMBAAN, Asia’s first mobile biosafety level-3 (BSL-3) laboratory, took the centrestage. This laboratory, named Rapid Action Mobile BSL-3 Advanced Augmented Network, has been designed for investigating emerging viral infections. The lab is capable of accessing remote areas.
Meetings across India: By the conclusion of its presidency, India will have hosted over 216 G20 meetings in more than 60 cities across the nation. This achievement surpasses previous G20 presidencies in terms of meetings conducted and cities covered.
