India's G20 presidency: Infra Working Group meet to begin today in Pune

A two-day G20 Infrastructure Working Group (IWG) meeting will begin in Maharashtra's Pune city on Monday where participants will deliberate on various aspects of infrastructure investments.

The meeting will be joined by 65 delegates from IWG member countries, guest nations and international organisations invited by India to discuss the 2023 Infrastructure Agenda under India's G20 presidency, as per an official release.

The Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and Government of India will host the two-day IWG meetings, with Australia and Brazil as co-chairs, the release said.

"The G20 Infrastructure Working Group deliberates on various aspects of infrastructure investments, including developing infrastructure as an asset class, promoting quality infrastructure investment and identifying innovative instruments for mobilising financial resources for infrastructure investment," it said.

The outcomes of the Infrastructure Working Group feed into the G20 Finance Track priorities to promote a common objective of economic growth, it added.

Over the years, the Infrastructure Working Group has been stressing on key themes of infrastructure development such as building infrastructure as an asset class, promoting quality infrastructure investment (QII) indicators, infratech agenda, among others.

India's G20 presidency's theme of 'One Earth, One Family, One Future' sets the tone for the 2023 Infrastructure Agenda as it underlines the message of equitable growth and aptly ties up with the central agenda of the discussions, which is building resilient, inclusive, and sustainable urban infrastructure, the release said.

"In the Pune meeting, discussions will focus on the agenda for the Infrastructure Working Group under the Indian presidency. The flagship priority to be discussed in this meeting is 'Financing Cities of Tomorrow: Inclusive, Resilient and Sustainable'," it said.

On day one, the IWG delegates will undertake a series of official meetings and discuss the 2023 Infrastructure Agenda.

They would also visit the Pune University for tree plantation, followed by a high-level workshop on 'Financing for the cities of Tomorrow'. The day will conclude with a networking dinner.

"Apart from the formal discussions, delegates will be able to experience the rich culture and beautiful landscapes of the city, with optional excursions such as Pune Heritage Walk, city tour, and a trip to Mahabaleshwar," the release said.

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