India to highlight heritage, diversity during one-year G20 presidency

India will showcase its culture, diversity and technological advancement during its one-year presidency of the G20 group of countries, sources said on Thursday.

Harsh Shringla, former foreign secretary, and G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant on Thursday gave a presentation on the programmes planned to the Union Council of Ministers once India assumes the G20 presidency, they said.

India will host more than 200 meetings at 56 locations once the country assumes the G20 presidency next month, the sources said.

Shringla is India's chief G20 coordinator.

India will assume the presidency of the G20 group of countries for a year for the first time, starting December 1. Many delegates and diplomats from the G20 member countries and guest countries will arrive in India for these meetings during the one-year period.

The sources said Kant and Shringla informed the ministers and secretaries during the presentation that more than 200 meetings would be held at 56 locations -- both big and small cities.

Speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested that the programmes should not only be impressive but inspiring, the sources said.

The G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum of the world's major developed and developing economies for international economic cooperation that plays an important role in socio-economic governance and global issues.