We want to build a consensus around many issues: G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant

'We will try and build India's narrative around digital transformation', said Kant

In July, Amitabh Kant was appointed Sherpa for the G20. He discusses with Aditi Phadnis the issues that will come up at G20 meetings. Edited excerpts:

Tell us about preparations for the forthcoming G20 meetings

There are 200 events spread over 55 cities of India. All states will host one or other event, big or small.

What is the structure? What are we hoping to achieve? What are we going to showcase?

The prime minister will announce all that. G20 is about driving growth. It is about social progress.  It is about global growth — and sustainable growth. Covid has impacted education, health, nutrition… so, the world has regressed rather than progressed. 

You have to bring Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to centre stage. And the third issue is, of course, climate action and climate finance which the world has not lived up to. We will try and build India’s narrative around digital transformation. We need to highlight all that we’ve achieved.

There are issues in G20 which are problematic bilaterally...

But this is a multilateral forum…

But we have serious bilateral problems with many of those who are going to attend. How are we going to get around those?

We’ll work with everyone. We’re here to host the event. We’ll try and work with everybody.

And if we were to identify four or five events which are going to be crucial for India?

We have a central global role in all the areas: sustainable growth, climate action, driving education and nutrition, lifting people above the poverty line, digital applications to governance, decarbonising the world…

There are issues around energy and India’s continuing dependence on coal…

Germany, etc, have also switched over to coal right now.

There are trade issues that are coming in the way: India’s feeling that there is not enough migratory mobility, for instance…

All these issues will be discussed. We want to bring a consensus around many of these issues.