India takes over G20 presidency for 2023, PM Modi extends invitation

PM Modi took over the "key" from Indonesian president Joko Widodo, India will officially assume the presidency of G20 on December 1

As the G20 Summit in Bali ended on Wednesday, Indonesia handed over the presidency for the coming year to India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who took over the "key" from Indonesian president Joko Widodo extended the invitation to all the member countries. India will officially assume the presidency on December 1. 

He added that digital transformation is the "most remarkable change" of this era, and its benefits should reach everyone. 

"During its G-20 Presidency next year, India will work jointly with G-20 partners towards this objective. The principle of 'Data for development' will be an integral part of the overall theme of our Presidency 'One Earth, One Family, One Future'," Modi said.

"Digital solutions can also be helpful in the fight against climate change - as we all saw in the examples of remote-working and paperless green offices during the Covid-19 pandemic," he added.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi visited the Mangrove forests in Bali and planted Mangroves at the Taman Hutan Raya Ngurah Rai forests on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit. India has also joined the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC), a joint initiative of Indonesia and the UAE.

Also, he held bilateral talks with French president Emmanuel Macron. Besides Macron, PM Modi is also scheduled to meet seven other world leaders today. He is slated to have bilateral agreements with heads of Indonesia, Spain, Singapore, Germany, Italy, Australia and the United Kingdom.

On Tuesday, he met US president Joe Biden. He was also seen shaking hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a dinner event on Tuesday.