India Takes Over G-20 Presidency, PM Calls For "Mindset Shift": 10 Points

India's year-long G20 presidency will be "inclusive, ambitious, decisive, and action-oriented", PM Modi said, adding that it will encourage an honest conversation on mitigating risks posed by weapons of mass destruction and enhancing global security. 

India today began its G20 presidency with a focus on counter-terrorism and "unity" in tackling global challenges, such as economic slowdown and climate crisis.

The government also seeks to build consensus on debt sustainability and creating disaster and climate-resilient infrastructure. India's G20 plans also include a special focus on startups and bridging the digital divide.

India will host as many as 200 meetings across the country over the next one year, with the first one being held in Udaipur later this week. The G20 Summit will be organised in New Delhi in September 2023.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the G20 platform seeks to forge common ground on key issues among prominent countries. "Our endeavor as the G20 chair is to make that consensus more relevant through wider consultation," he said.

Starting today, 100 monuments across the country, including UNESCO world heritage sites, will be lit up highlighting the G20 logo for a week.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the logo and the theme for India's G20 presidency last month. The logo depicts a lotus flower and a globe, while the theme for India's G20 presidency is -"One Earth, One Family, One Future" - which highlights its commitment to 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (world is one family).

India was handed over the presidency of the influential bloc at the closing ceremony of the previous G20 summit in Bali that was hosted by Indonesia on November 15 and 16.

The G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum of the world's major developed and developing economies. The group 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.

The member countries represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.