Delhi G20 Summit: The promise that is India

The summit was a moment of triumph for Indian diplomacy.

History has been made at the G20 summit in Delhi. As late as on Friday evening there was uncertainty and speculation in Delhi if a consensus statement would be achieved. It is a proud moment for India and an achievement of Indian diplomacy.

Conceived in 1999 in the aftermath of a series of economic crises engulfing the world, the G20 as an influential economic bloc was intended to address issues related to the global economy. Over the years, however, differences have not just surfaced but fault-lines have deepened with the result that currently there is a sharp divide between the US and the European Union on one hand, and Russia and China on the other with the Ukraine war exacerbating these tensions.

Simultaneously, tensions are high between India and China with an impasse continuing since the Galwan clashes of 2020. The fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin gave the summit a miss, sending his Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov instead, and Chinese President Xi Jinping too skipping the summit when he has attended every G20 summit till now, is a good barometer of the tensions riddling the grouping. The task before India’s current presidency of the G20 themed “One Earth, One Family, One Future”, was, therefore, humongous.

Striking A Delicate Balance On Ukraine

The most contentious issue of course was that of Ukraine. There had been a lot of wrangling because the US and EU countries wanted to call out Russia as the aggressor side and Lavrov had warned in advance that Russia would block any such utterance. India too has steadfastly adhered to a “neutral” position in the one-and-a-half years of the conflict while consistently calling for dialogue and a peaceful resolution of the conflict, and for India to to call Russia the aggressor would have been inconsistent with its position.

The final document shows not only a very watered down draft, with no mention of Russia except in the clause regarding the resumption of the shipment of grains and food products but the call is for the resumption of supplies of both Russian and Ukrainian grains. The rest of the clauses on the war are so politically correct and neutral that it would be difficult for any side of the divide or any member state to take umbrage at.

For instance, who could take offence at “...underscored that all states must act in a manner consistent with the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter in its entirety....”.  It is a huge concession by the Western countries thanks to India’s untiring diplomacy as G20 sherpa Amitabh Kant expressed on his X feed: “This was done over 200 hours of non-stop negotiations...”

Role In African Union’s Inclusion

The icing on the cake, however, has to be the inclusion of the African Union within the grouping’s fold which will effectively become G21 now. If the clauses on Ukraine are a manifestation of India’s diplomatic prowess, then welcoming the African Union is a manifestation of strategic brilliance. Even without the consensus on Ukraine, this alone would have sealed India’s place in the annals of G20’s history and evolution.

The African Union (AU), with 55 countries representing more than a billion population, having a total GDP of $7.573 trillion is the most eligible candidate for being part of the grouping and its absence is an anomaly, something which has now been rectified. Resource-rich Africa is the last frontier where great powers are now scrambling to access the continent’s vast resources, but it can also represent a formidable market.

From the early days of its G20 presidency, India had made it clear that its presidency would both define and distinguish itself as the representative of the Global South. In January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened the “Voice of the Global South” conference virtually. He made his pledge to advocate for the Global South by inviting the AU to the Delhi summit and personally writing to heads of the G20 states to accept the AU as a member, and though some G20 states were not too enthusiastic about this, it became difficult to entirely oppose it.

Many Triumphs For Indian Diplomacy

The other two major takeaways from the summit is the announcement of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, involving multi-modal transport, digital and economic collaboration between India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, EU countries like Italy, France and Germany, and the US with the terms seeming to be far more equitable and compact than China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Finally, the announcement of the Global Biofuel Alliance is also a triumph of India’s deft diplomacy as it tries to strike a balance between oil producing countries and those like India, dependent on fossil fuels, even as they seek a gradual transition to clean energy. Seven G20 countries and 12 non-G20 countries and 12 international organisations have so far agreed to join the alliance.

All in all it was a moment in the sun for India’s brilliant diplomacy, and a recognition of the promise that is India. In one stroke India has announced itself the champion of the Global South, and possibly the only country currently able to bridge the North-South and the East-West divide.

Aditi Bhaduri is a journalist and political analyst. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication