"India's G20 agenda has gone beyond core issues...": Former Deputy NSA Pankaj Saran

New Delhi [India], September 7 : As the national capital has been decked up in a royal manner to welcome foreign delegates for the G20 summit from September 9-10, Former Deputy NSA and Ambassador Pankaj Saran said that India is bringing a comprehensive agenda to the G20 summit, emphasizing the need for equitable representation of the Global South in shaping global architecture, particularly in the realms of financial structures, multilateral development institutions, and aid distribution.
Highlighting that high benchmarks have been made by India for the way the G20 Presidency is being conducted both in terms of the sheer scale, the number of meetings, and the spread across the country, he said, "We have been able to showcase India to the entire world...Secondly on the substantive issue, today, according to the IMF, India is the fastest-growing economy in the world...India is in one sense today the shining spot in an otherwise very difficult global economic environment."
Pankaj Saran highlighted that this is a momentous occasion for India, given that the G20 includes some of the world's wealthiest nations and major economies like Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, and Argentina. 
"It's a very special occasion for India and a very privileged occasion for India to host the G20 Summit. When the G20 Summit began in 2008, we never imagined that one day India would be actually hosting the G20 because the group is large. It consists of the richest countries of the world. It has countries that are major economies, including Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, etc. So it's a great honour for India to host and a matter of pride for all of us that all these leaders are going to come to India," he said.
He further mentioned that in the last one year we have held so many meetings around the country in so many cities allowing the G20 to engage with the Indian public directly, transcending traditional conference rooms and air-conditioned chambers.
"Thousands of delegations have come and we have been able to make this G20 grouping go right to the people of India. So it has gone beyond meeting rooms chambers and comfort of the air-conditioned rooms, we have taken it to the people," he said.
He further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said it is a human-centric people's presidency and that's the main thing.
"But also what we have been able to do is to put the Indian stamp on the agenda. So we have widened the agenda and it has gone beyond finance, trade, development etc. which is the core agenda. Too many critical issues such as climate change, such as technology that is digital public infrastructure. Such as health, skill development, and education," he added.
He further said that India has taken the opportunity to project the concerns of the Global South to the G20 and therefore to the global audience.
"Basically saying that the Global South for the developing countries must have an equal say in deciding, what kind of a global architecture. In terms of financial architecture, multi-lateral development banks, and aids flaws. All these issues we are bringing to the table. So it is a full package that India is bringing to the G20, both in terms of how we have conducted the meetings and also the substance of the meeting," he added.
Notably, India under its G20 presidency has laid special emphasis on giving voice to the countries of Global South and the issues concerning them.
India has also proposed for the inclusion of the African Union — a union of 55 countries from the African continent — as a permanent member of the G20, a proposal which has received massive support and appreciation.
He further asserted that India has set very high benchmarks for the way the G20 Presidency should be conducted both in terms of the sheer scale, the number of meetings, and the spread across the country. 
The summit will be hosted at the state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
Global leaders such as US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and many others leaders will arrive at Indira Gandhi International Airport to attend the G20 summit on September 9 and 10 at Bharat Mandapam.
This is the first time that the G20 Summit is taking place under India’s presidency. The event will be attended by many global leaders and delegates. Extensive preparations and arrangements have been made for the summit, with the intention of showcasing both India’s soft power as well as modern face.
The 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies.
India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1 last year and about 200 meetings related to G20 were organized in 60 cities across the country.