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India's G20 presidency will be chance to share expertise with world: PM

India's G20 presidency will be an opportunity for it to share its expertise with the world in areas of women empowerment, democracy and digital technologies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said

Modi, PM Modi

Photo: ANI

Press Trust of India New Delhi

India's G20 presidency will be an opportunity for it to share its expertise with the world in areas of women empowerment, democracy and digital technologies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday after unveiling the logo, theme and the website for the upcoming tenure.

The prime minister also said that as the chair of the influential grouping, India's endeavour would be that there should be "no first world or third world" and it should be only "one world".

India will assume the presidency of the powerful grouping from the current chair Indonesia on December 1. The G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum of the world's major developed and developing economies.

 

"A big opportunity has come. It is a matter of pride for every Indian, it is a matter of increasing his pride," Modi said in his address at an online event.

The prime minister also delved into India's development journey and said all governments and people after the Independence contributed in their own way to taking India forward.

"After independence we started a significant journey starting from zero, aiming for the top. This includes the efforts of all the governments in the last 75 years. All the governments and citizens in their own way have tried to take India forward together," he said.

"We have to move forward with this spirit today with a new energy taking the whole world along. India's thousands of years old culture has taught us one more thing -- when we strive for our progress, we also envision global progress," he said.

Highlighting India's democratic values, Modi also the country can show the world that the scope of conflict can come to an end when democracy becomes a culture.

He said the G20 summit in India would not just be a diplomatic meeting and that the country sees it as a "new responsibility".

"India sees this as the confidence of the world in the country. Today in the world there is an unprecedented curiosity to know India, to understand India. Today India is being viewed in a new light," he said.

The prime minister said India's achievements in many fields can be useful to other countries of the world.

For example, he added that the way India has used digital technologies for development, inclusion, eradicating corruption and for increasing ease of doing business can be helpful for developing countries.

"Similarly, today India is making progress in women empowerment," he said and cited schemes like our Jan Dhan Yojna and Mudra scheme which are aimed at ensuring the financial inclusion of women.

"Our experience in various such fields can be of great help to the world. And India's presidency in the G20 is coming as an important medium to take all these successful campaigns to the world," he said.

Modi said India can assure the world that both "progress and nature" can go with each other.

"We also have to make sustainable development a part of individual life instead of just a system of governments, it has to be expanded. The environment should become a global cause as well as a personal responsibility," Modi said.

The prime minister said India's presidency of the G20 would be a representation of the strength and potential of 130 crore Indians.

He said the G20 logo is not just a logo.

It is a message. This is a feeling, which is in our veins. In this logo the lotus flower, the mythological heritage of India, our faith, our intellect, is depicting all these together, Modi said.

The G20 logo draws inspiration from the vibrant colours of India's national flag -- saffron, white and green, and blue.

It juxtaposes planet Earth with the lotus, India's national flower that reflects growth amid challenges. The earth reflects India's pro-planet approach to life, one in perfect harmony with nature, according to an official statement.

The theme of India's G20 Presidency -- "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" or "One Earth One Family One Future" -- is drawn from the ancient Sanskrit text of the Maha Upanishad.

Essentially, the theme affirms the value of all life -- human, animal, plant, and microorganisms -- and their interconnectedness on the planet Earth and in the wider universe, the statement said.

The theme also spotlights LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), with its associated, environmentally sustainable and responsible choices, both at the level of individual lifestyles as well as national development, leading to globally transformative actions resulting in a cleaner, greener and bluer future.

The G20 comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union (EU).

The G20 summit is taking place on November 15 and 16 in Bali and Modi is set to be among top leaders attending it.

The G20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation representing around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.

India is currently part of the G20 Troika (current, previous and incoming G20 presidencies) comprising Indonesia, Italy and India.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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First Published: Nov 08 2022 | 10:12 PM IST

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