As PM Modi Heads to Bali Tomorrow, India's G-20 Task to Unite a Divided World Draws Closer | Explained

It’s a key moment for India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in three key sessions — food and energy security, digital transformation and health — at the G20 summit in Bali, for which the PM will leave for tomorrow.

He will be on a three-day visit to attend the summit that is expected to deliberate extensively on pressing global challenges including the Ukraine conflict and its implications. Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who is hosting the 17th summit, will symbolically hand over the G20 presidency to Modi during the closing session. Formally, India will take over the presidency starting December 1 and host the 18th summit in September 2023.

Ahead of the summit, speculation is high on what bilateral meetings could take place between India and other nations – China, UK and US. More debate is on what these meetings, and India’s prestigious presidency will yield in a world divided.

Modi’s Meetings With Xi, Sunak, Biden?

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Friday said US President Joe Biden is looking forward to seeing Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 summit. Eyes are also on whether the PM might hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese Xi Jinping. If this happens, this will be the first after the military stand-off along the LAC that started in April-May 2020.

Whether Modi could meet Rishi Sunak, the recently elected Hindu Prime Minister of the UK at the summit also remains to be seen.

India has stated meanwhile, that Modi’s visit, though short, will be very important. “The participation of the Prime Minister of India in this summit is also important in such a way that on the day before the appointment, the Prime Minister has launched the logo of our presidency and website, this is a very good opportunity to show our presidency in front of all the leaders of the world. Tell them about the success stories of India,” said the Indian envoy in Bali during an interview.

Driving Global Agenda at the G20

India’s foreign policy has evolved to take on leadership roles on the global stage. In a significant step forward, India will assume the G20 presidency on December 1, 2022.

PM Modi’s G20 logo is inspired by the vibrant colours of India’s national flag: saffron, white and green, and blue. According to an official statement, it contrasts planet Earth with the lotus, India’s national flower that represents growth in the face of adversity.

“Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” or “One Earth, One Family, One Future,” is the theme of India’s G20 presidency. In that context, PM Modi will position India as a driving force of unity, highlighting a difficult road ahead as the country seeks to balance competing global powers, amid the Ukraine-Russia conflict. India has so far espoused the importance of peaceful dialogue to resolution of the conflict, while remaining equidistant from the West and East – and putting its interest first.

The G20 & Tasks Ahead for India

The Group of Twenty, also known as the G20, is an intergovernmental forum of the world’s major developed and developing economies. India, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union are among them. The G20 is the forum for international economic cooperation, representing roughly 85% of global GDP, more than 75% of global trade, and roughly two-thirds of the global population.

India faces significant challenges as it assumes the G20 presidency, a report by India Today explains. India’s G20 priorities include, among other things, inclusive, equitable, and sustainable growth, women’s empowerment, digital public infrastructure and tech-enabled development, climate financing, global food security, and energy security.

The G20’s credibility has suffered in recent months. It is on the verge of a crisis because an internal schism is all too visible. The West and Russia have refused to see eye to eye; they were even reluctant to sit down and discuss issues during the buildup. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has announced that he will not attend the summit.

As India assumes the presidency, it has to work out differences and lead from the front. “Assuming the G-20 presidency at such a critical juncture is a challenging task,” India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant wrote in an Economic Times column. “However, India is well-prepared to turn this challenge into an opportunity.” He went on to say that India will use its presidency to focus on climate action, energy security, stronger public health systems, and accelerating the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

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