Manish Chand's India's G20 Legacy: A collection of diplomatic insights

India’s G20 Legacy: Shaping a New World Order

Editor: Manish Chand

Publisher: Pentagon Press

Pages: 226

Price: Rs 995

India’s G20 Presidency in 2023 also marked the beginning of Amrit Kaal, the 25-year period leading up to the centenary of its independence in 2047, towards a prosperous, inclusive and “Viksit Bharat” (developed India). As Brazil builds on India’s G20 presidency, journalist-academician Manish Chand, captures diverse perspectives in India’s G20 Legacy, a book of curated contributions from erudite scholars and practitioners of diplomacy from around the world.

India’s legacy contribution to G20 will resonate for a long time to come for varied reasons, writes India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant; the grandiose display at the 220 events in 60 cities across the country —  showcasing India’s diversity and hospitality — will be contrasted with future G20 presidencies. Several authors emphasised that India’s G20 was truly a people’s movement as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and equally matched with substance, bringing to the negotiating table issues of concerns to the Global South.

India’s role as a bridge between the G7 and Russia/China was highlighted in the book, drawing attention to its consensus-building ability on the war on Ukraine in the Delhi Declaration. This  reflected an existential moment for G20, restoring its credibility. It was not an easy calibration, given that India’s assumption of the G20 Presidency took place in the backdrop of a deep global divide triggered by geopolitical tensions and the lingering impact caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, observes External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.  As these developments impacted the Global South, India logically sought to build a solid agenda using the two Summits of the Voice of the Global South in virtual formats (VoGSS) during its Presidency and put “development” at the centre of the global discourse.

Brazil’s G20, building on India’s agenda, rightly put the spotlight on the rising inequality across the world, writes Ambassador Kenneth H da Nobrega.  It reflects a worrisome trend that the top-down-led global growth has failed to uplift the poor or accelerate job creation. Progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been dismal so far with only six years remaining until the target year, according to the United Nations Secretary General; about 575 million people living in extreme poverty and more than 600 million facing hunger.

The book alludes to India’s persuasive negotiating skills in mobilising global action to fast-track SDGs by bridging the North–South gap. India’s proposal to introduce a minimum wealth tax would be effective, they opined. India’s active involvement in building consensus on the proposal “base erosion and profit shifting” (BEPS) is noteworthy.  In both cases, however, such measures should be uniformly applied across the board to prevent shifting of wealth to safe havens.

India has come a long way towards becoming a rule shaper rather than a rule taker, observes Ambassador Mohan Kumar, elaborating on the way India took lead during its G20 Presidency on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), the Global Biofuel Alliance, the Green Hydrogen Innovation Centre, the Deccan High-level Principle on Food Security and Nutrition and the launching of the India-Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEEC) infrastructure project.  Several authors reiterated the growing recognition of India’s DPI as truly transformative. These low-cost solutions can be customised for both the Global South and developed economies. There appears to be no dearth of funds for these initiatives as a staggering $300 trillion in private funds and another $150 trillion sovereign wealth/pension funds are waiting to be tapped, according to the book. Further, Indian companies can also undertake commercially viable projects in the Global South under the public-private partnership template.

PM’s Mission LiFE, seeking lifestyle changes, has been widely acclaimed in the book to be effective in the fight against climate challenges. Similarly, on women’s empowerment, India has been a pioneer, but much would depend on the most powerful/developed countries of G20 to show the way for imprinting India’s civilisational value of Nari Shakti, writes Ambassador Lakshmi Puri.

The perception that G20 has taken centre-stage on global governance, replacing the UN systems, is due to the latter’s inability to be in sync with 21st century realities.  India has for long been drawing attention to the urgency of UN reform and this seems to be finding traction. Former South African minister Naledi Pandor’s reasoning that the G20 cannot be a substitute for the UN hinges on the fact that today’s challenges are inter-connected and can be best addressed through international cooperation.  Alongside, G20 will continue to lend guidance on global challenges.

The admission of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 has been welcomed by the authors, who underline that this move makes the G20 more inclusive and credible, thereby strengthening multilateralism. India’s championing of the African Union’s cause will go down in history as its significant contribution to both G20 and the India-Africa partnership.

The book is worth reading to understand India’s enduring contribution to the G20, even though the contributions sometimes may be overlapping and repetitive. The Global South agenda that India set, expected to be pursued by Brazil and South Africa in succession during their G20 Presidencies, in truly IBSA-driven solidarity, epitomises the ancient Sanskrit saying “Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya (for the welfare for all, for the happiness of all).

The reviewer is a serving foreign service officer