India’s goals as President of the G20; future outlook and aspirations

India's G20 motto is 'One earth. One family. One future'. It is derived from a well-known Sanskrit saying which notes that all living beings are connected. At a time of acute political and environmental stress the Presidency seeks to remind us of our common humanity and our common responsibility as custodians of our planet safeguarding it for future generations. An important dimension of this shared responsibility is Mission Life LiFE Lifestyle for the Environment, a global movement announced by India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Glasgow in 2021 and formally launched in the presence of the United Nations Secretary General, in India, in June 2022.

India follows Indonesia as G20 President at a time when the economic aftermath of the global pandemic and conflict in Europe have sharply diminished prospects for poorer countries. By means of its Presidency India explicitly seeks to bring the interests of the global south to the consideration of the world's major economic powers. Given that the core mandate of the G20 leaders is to foster strong, balanced, sustainable and inclusive growth the Indian Presidency will focus on specific issues such as debt relief for poor and middle income countries, digital public goods to support inclusive development, coordinated regulation of crypto currencies and reform of multilateral institutions. The goal is to restore growth momentum and fairness in the global economy. While India is currently a bright spot in the global economy some of its G20 initiatives, such as expanding the availability of climate finance will also be helpful for its own medium term development.