What Kind of G20 Presidency Would Narendra Modi Lead?

India is taking over the G20 presidency amid tough times, with the world confronting a raft of geopolitical and economic crises.

FREMONT, CA:Indonesian President Joko Widodo officially turned over the G20 chairmanship to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as this year's conference ended in Bali. On December 1^st, New Delhi will formally assume the G20 presidency.

Modi stated over the weekend that they must fully utilise this opportunity and focus on global good and international well-being.

India has solutions to these challenges, whether peace or unity, sensitivity toward the environment, or sustainable development. 200 G20 working group meetings are slated to be held in India this year and in the lead-up to the leaders' summit in 2023. These sessions are scheduled to take place in various cities all over South Asia.

In addition to establishing a secretariat to oversee all diplomatic activity, New Delhi has already released the logo, theme, and website for its G20 presidency.

India will now be setting the global agenda for the first time. Until this point, they had been responding to the agenda from the developed world, an Indian official in charge of the G20 meeting's planning.

According to Indian authorities, the G20 presidency is an opportunity to highlight New Delhi's preeminent position in world affairs, especially at a time when the globe is dealing with numerous geopolitical and economic challenges.

A foreign policy professor at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University emphasised that India is concurrently taking on the roles of G20 and SCO chair. Even though India is hesitant to mediate the conflict in Ukraine, its deeds and words will affect how the world reacts to the conflict and how it will be after it.

New Delhi will likely put on a nice show next year, perhaps even securing Vladimir Putin's attendance at the conference.

Consensus-building Poses a Huge Challenge

Anil Wadhwa, a former Indian diplomat, noted that India confronts several significant difficulties while holding the presidency.

The climate catastrophe has intensified, and the Ukraine conflict will have a lasting impact on the G20's efforts to forge consensus. Due to the battle, many nations are struggling with mounting debt, poverty, and impending food and energy crises.

New Delhi will need to negotiate this diplomatic minefield deftly and support initiatives to foster global agreement on addressing these challenges. The former Indian ambassador to the United States added that it is difficult for New Delhi to take on the G20 chair. But India shouldn't allow the problems to disrupt the forum's agenda.

Geopolitical strife and rivalry should not be allowed to crowd out or derail the essential work of the G20. The challenges that the globe faces are so huge.

The road forward rests via diplomacy and conversation, not growing armed confrontation, referencing the Ukraine crisis.